Virtual approach to community arts
TO combat the uncertainty in a COVID-19 environment, the local arts sector has had to move and adapt in ways they have never had to before.
Determined to continue to inspire, entertain and celebrate our local artists and favourite attractions, the Wangaratta Art Gallery was among those to take a fresh approach to one of their most popular exhibitions.
The team decided to capture the Petite Miniature Textiles 2020 in a 3D format, offering an easy to navigate virtual tour of the much loved event, which calls on contemporary textile art practitioners from around the country to create works no larger than 30x30x30cm.
They also put the exhibition catalogue online and provided short videos from three of the selected artists, Ruby Berry, Tara Glastonbury and Jennifer Robertson, who discussed their practice, as part of their outreach programming.
Also determined that the show must go on, the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre looked at creative ways they could bring content to a home audience, announcing the launch of their first Steinway on Stage at Home series in May, in partnership with the Wangaratta Arts Council.
Since it began, hundreds of people have viewed the performances of some of the brightest talents in our community, including soloists and bands like Sweet Buzz, as they made the most of the city’s Steinway Grand Piano while we watched from home, all accessed with the simple click of a button.
Those performances are still there to be viewed for free by visiting www.wangarattapac.com.au, while captivating artworks can be seen by visiting www.wangarattaartgallery.com.au.
While we don’t know exactly what the future holds, we do know local arts will continue to thrive in one format or another, with updates of what’s on available by visiting their websites.