Art museums and art associations have been busy as beavers during the last couple of lockdown weeks. They scrambled to get their collections’ databases up and online and produced art-related competitions. At-home activities have proliferated, especially for house-bound kids. There are even reviews of online offerings and of course the constant complaint that nothing will ever come near the real thing. And that’s a good thing.
In the meantime, while it’s still not yet possible to hurry off to your nearest gallery, here are a couple of online arts magazines that offer a varied perspective on all things art. A current favourite is the Brooklyn-based Hyperallergic. You can scroll through the arts industry news to find a lively take on contemporary art and (often alternative) art historical writings. Until now, it has been a free offering, but in the current crisis, their advertising has dried up so they are soliciting memberships.
Although it started as the alternative arts rag in the 1960s, Artforum International is now the stolid grandpa of art criticism and the contemporary art scene. There is good reliable writing, and valuable insight to be found there. Some articles get pretty sticky, though, so feel free to move along. In addition to the traditional visual arts, the mag also covers films and other time-based media.
Art in America serves up sumptuous illustrations and graphics with its articles and has been around since 1913. It’s come a long way from its localised beginnings when American art was in its infancy, or at least toddlerhood, and on the back foot to Europe’s pioneers. The abstract expressionists of the 1940s and 1950s hurtled American art past that stance, so the magazine cast its nets further afield. Now international in the range of its coverage, and merged with Artnews, it presents exhibitions with snappy reviews and artist-oriented content.
That might take care of your downtime, but for those of you actually working at home, the Met offers some of their interiors for your Zoom meetings. I’m just making my colleagues back in the snow jealous with the REAL Kiwi landscape in the background.
Also from the Met, you can browse hundreds of art books to download. This week they offer 10 recommendations. I shall be checking out the publication on Hatshepsut. On a family visit to her temple years ago, we were fascinated to learn about this powerful Pharoah and her prolific reign. A good use of time spent at home.
While we’re on that side of the pond, here’s a quick look at some of the options for museum visits in Europe. Just because a museum is great, doesn’t necessarily translate into the best online experience. Not thrilled with the Louvre or the Prado – yet. I haven’t done a deep dive, but off the top, here are a couple to consider:
Visit the website of the Courtauld Institute — home to a beautiful collection and a superior art history and conservation degree programme. Start with the Watch Our Films Youtube link to view thoughtful presentations on the collection. And don’t miss Bill Nighy’s short invitation to the museum (I agree with everything he (ever) says).
While in London, the British Museum has extensive online possibilities — from a tour to shopping (of course).
ABOUT BETSY
Elizabeth A. Carpenter (Betsy) has a Fine Arts degree from Harvard, and more than 25 years experience in collections management at New York City galleries, museums, artists and private collections, including Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Edward R. Broida Museum and Trust, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Betsy worked as a freelance art consultant. Her work in Atlanta, Georgia, and Barcelona, Spain included various clients: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Detroit Art Institute, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Barcelona, and the estate of Spanish sculptor, Juan Munoz. Her international career as an art museum registrar, collection management specialist, and cataloging professional, lead to her most recent contract to Colby College Museum of Art, and the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Maine.