Art During the Time of COVID-19
August 2020 - September 2020
Life as we know it has changed drastically within the past few months. What seemed like immutable, reliable routines have shifted to adapt to the times, and so have we.
As you stroll through the gallery, you'll come across the various ways our community has responded to the changing times. While some create to find comfort in a synthesized routine, others find inspiration in their changed landscape.
I encourage you to find that comfort and inspiration within yourself - whether it is working on personal projects, honing your skills, or sinking your teeth into a new passion - creative expression knows no bounds. Art can heal, art can save lives, and art can bring us together even while we are apart. Our community’s art will stand throughout time as a testament to our resilience.
I invite you to experience this exhibition as a journey through recovery, self-discovery, and taking comfort in the immutability and reliability of community.
- Curated by Hannah Bashar, UMBC 2020
You're a Pizza, April Berardi, June 2020, 22" x 22", Yarn
Before graduating, I was gifted a diploma frame. The container it came in looked just like a pizza box, and I was inspired to make a pie to fit. I chose the medium of yarn so the work could be multi-functional, as wall art; an area rug; or its current function, as a pet bed for my partner’s cat.
Instagram: @AprilBCrafts
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Kobe and Gigi, Preet Patel, July 24, 2020, 14" x 22", Shading Pencils on Paper, $150
Kobe Bryant died from a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 as well his daughter, Gigi Bryant, and 7 others. I always loved watching Kobe’s games. He inspired and motivated me throughout my life. He was a great leader and a great father. This is a drawing of Kobe and Gigi as well as their jersey numbers.
Instagram: @preetpatel3
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Metro Tracks #1, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Metro Tracks #2, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Metro Tracks #3, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Crossing the Metro Tracks, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Storm Approaching, Julie Miller, June 2020, 13" x 26", Photography, $250
Tree Near Metro Tracks, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Purple Line Construction, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Silver Spring Metro Station, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
Colesville Road, Julie Miller, June 2020, 18" x 24", Photography, $200
I stay home except for occasional exercise walks. I've become very interested in the clouds I can see from my small balcony. I made the panorama Storm Approaching from that balcony. I took all of the other photos during my walks. I wanted to contrast my urban reality with the flowers and animals that my friends were photographing in their more suburban neighborhoods. Previously, most of my photos sported bright colors, but since the pandemic reached us, black-and-white images seem more appealing.
Website: JulieMillerPhoto.com
Joomchi Geometry, Julie Miller, April - May 2020, 21" x 35" total, ~8" each hexagon, Set of 9 hexagons, Mulberry Paper, Metallic Thread
The Virus Lurks, Julie Miller, June - July 2020, 17" x 34.5" total, ~8" each hexagon, Set of 7 hexagons, Mulberry Paper
The Source of the Problem, Julie Miller, June 2020, 13" x 13", Mulberry Paper
A little before the pandemic hit, I took a workshop in joomchi. Making small pieces each stay-at-home day has kept me sane. In this 500-year-old Korean technique, you combine layers of thin mulberry paper by wetting and then folding, crushing, mashing, and smashing (like felting with paper). It's perfect for a day of isolation. As the layers shrink, bleed, become lacy, or develop holes, you get a colorful, richly textured, cloth-like collage that always surprises. I started out exploring geometry and later referenced the pandemic. Jiyoung Chung, the artist who introduced joomchi-making throughout the western world, notes it is both an expressive and a meditative process. “It’s like life,” she says. “Through hardships, we become stronger... In the process of breaking down and forming new bonds, the paper becomes stronger.”
Website: JulieMillerPhoto.com
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Peaceful Rest, JK, hana, July 2020, 8" x 8", Digital Media, $20
This is a portrait of a recent selfie posted by a person named Jeon Jungkook during quarantine, highlighting how he's resting during these times and taking it easy. He's a member of a famous group called BTS, and I became a fan back in the beginning of 2015. I am so proud of their message and strengths as individuals. I was there before they were anything, and someday I want to be just like them. I want to help people with my work and my message. It's hard to survive as an artist when you choose it as a possible career, but seeing them never give up has really helped me gain a bit of courage in my future.
Instagram: @tina.mochi
Sip and Chill, hana, July 2020, 8" x 8", Digital Media, $20
I'm a barista at a boba tea shop in my town, and in the photo you can see a person enjoying their drinks as they listen to music. I have spent most of this quarantine trying to keep myself sane through music and working my job after we had reopened. I really enjoy being a barista. I had gone through a hard time during this quarantine and these two things are things of many that helped me. I also thought it was fitting since I'm submitting this to a cafe!
Instagram: @tina.mochi
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Amanita, Satya Emerick, June 2020, 24" x 36", Acrylic on Canvas, $400
COVID has given me the time to become more experimental and expressive style wise in my art, as I have been able to explore mediums and techniques based on how I personally feel about them rather than how they allow me to complete projects for a grade or portfolio. This piece showcases playing around with composition and abstract perspectives, and uses the subject of mycology which has also become a recent interest of mine that I explored more with the time given from the COVID shutdowns.
Instagram: @viceversavirtues
Embrace, Satya Emerick, April 2020, 20" x 26", Oil Pastel, $115
This is another more expressive piece I created using oil pastels as I was exploring mediums I hadn't used for school as much as other paints and drawing materials. Pastels allow me to convey more movement as well as more distinct contrasting colors. I wanted this piece to be very fluid with the figures, but bold and intense color wise.
Instagram: @viceversavirtues
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Resurrection. Revival. Rebirth., Imani K. Jackson, June 1, 2020, 24" x 20", Acrylic Paint, Chalk, Gel Ink Pen, and Black Ink on Stretched Canvas
This piece was inspired by Nut, the Egyptian Goddess of The Heavens, The Sky, and Rebirth. During the majority of the year 2019, I felt a lack of passion and motivation when it came to things that I normally felt excited by. I hadn’t painted at all for the first 5 months of the year and I thought that I had lost my art touch. It wasn’t until that June that I regained the motivation to try painting again and I was proud and surprised by how this piece turned out.
Instagram: @_merakei.arts_ & @astraea.m.crater
Abstract Dreams of Harmonious Dimensions, Imani K. Jackson, June 11, 2019, 24" x 18", Acrylic Paint, Chalk, and Black Ink on Stretched Canvas, $75
I base my painting style on the idea of Intuitive Painting. Intuitive Painting is the practice of allowing your intuition to dictate what you paint and trusting your paintbrush. It’s easy for an artist to stress over what to paint, but Intuitive Painting relieves that stress and becomes almost meditative. Painting with this practice in mind has made these last few months a little less stressful during these trying times.
Instagram: @_merakei.arts_ & @astraea.m.crater
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Fiddling Around, Wanda Prather, June 27, 2020, 12" x 15", Photography, Price Upon Request
This is a digital photograph of a fern frond just starting to unfold. During the enforced isolation of the COVID-19 shutdown, it helped to be able to spend time outside. The enforced time off allowed more time to work on my photography, just by seeking out the beauty in my own backyard. The closer you look at nature, the more there is to see.
Central Maryland Photographers Guild: cmpg.photography
Hellebores - Signs of Hope, Wanda Prather, April 30, 2020, 12" x 15", Photography, Price Upon Request
This is a digital photograph of 3 Hellebores, which are some of the first flowers to emerge in early spring. Extreme close ups of natural subjects take time and patience. This image was made by using software to merge 35 shots taken with different focus points, so that each tiny bit of the flower is in focus in the final image. Photographers call this “focus stacking”.
Central Maryland Photographers Guild: cmpg.photography
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I WILL BREATHE, Eben McCullough (TheAntArts), June 19, 2020, 12" x 12", Digital Media, With Frame $120, Print Only $110
I WILL BREATHE is a declaration of LIFE, LIBERTY, and EQUALITY for my fellow Black, Asian, and minority brothers and sisters who face racial injustice. I will breathe for those who gave up their lives for the future and for those whose lives were taken. And with every breath, I will continue to fight and inspire others to do the same. This is the first of many works in this series.
Contact theantarts@gmail.com for more information.
Website: TheAntArts.com
Instagram: @The_antartz_
COSMIC SKIN, Eben McCullough (TheAntArts), May 19, 2020, 12" x 12", Digital Media, With Frame $110, Print Only $100
I wanted to talk about society by looking at the individual - because society is composed of a large group of individuals. I believe that understanding destruction, hate, growth, love starts with examining the self/ individual. Both faces are of the same person but each sees from a different perspective. The yin-yang represents different parts of a person and how both hold a part of the other. They are halves of a greater being. The only way for them to connect will be to learn how to "see eye-to-eye". If one chose to destroy the other they would lose a part of themselves. Thus the only way to become whole is to respect the other and mutually exist: to find a balance between the two opposing perspectives.
Contact theantarts@gmail.com for more information.
Website: TheAntArts.com
Instagram: @The_antartz_
STEVIS HARRISON, Eben McCullough (TheAntArts), February 13, 2020, 12" x 12", Digital Media, With Frame $110, Print Only $100
We all have those that try to categorize what we can and can’t do based on our “ethnic stereotypes”. One of my role models during my punk band days was Stevis Harrison of FEVER333 (formerly in the CHARIOT). Watching another dread-head black man tear it up on stage was beyond exciting and inspiring. 💀
At the time I had a band of my own and didn’t know of any other black musicians in the Hardcore/Punk music scene. So discovering Stevis gave me the confidence to not let anyone else’s opinions of me dictate my future.
Contact theantarts@gmail.com for more information.
Website: TheAntArts.com
Instagram: @The_antartz_
TAYLOR RIVERS, Eben McCullough (TheAntArts), March 19, 2020, 12" x 12", Digital Media, With Frame $110, Print Only $100
Women's History Month project. Taylor Rivers is a young Black model killing it in South Korea. I've been inspired by her to embrace that what makes me different can help me while exploring new creative avenues abroad. I know she will inspire others to do the same.
Contact theantarts@gmail.com for more information.
Website: TheAntArts.com
Instagram: @The_antartz_
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Daddy Changed the World, Kathleen McPartland, June 5, 2020, 16" x 20", Acrylic on Canvas, $200
Created in light of the Black Lives Matter movement to depict beauty in black female bodies (or anyone curvy and dark skinned) that are often so overlooked or undervalued by society. It is time for a change in perspective. Created during a Zoom video call with friends painting "together" while maintaining social distance due to COVID-19 restrictions.
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Sacred Capriccio, Yuxiao Ran, 2020, 30" x 40", Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, $1350
Yuxiao Ran is a 2020 BFA graduate from MICA. Sacred Capriccio belongs to a series of their senior thesis development - The Chaos of Language.
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I started this painting in the beginning of 2020, immediately after returning from my study trip in Italy. By the time of my return to the U.S., the COVID-19 outbreak had started taking its toll in my home country, China. However, as we are all familiar with the fact that how underprepared both physically and mentally Americans were towards the virus, this pressing crisis which concerned myself deeply at the time, did not raise much attention to my teachers, friends, and others around me in the U.S.. It was with much anxiety, worry, and frankly, a sense of loneliness and helplessness when I painted this canvas. The decisions which I included in the subject matter choices eventually would end up somehow "predict" this virus's dire impact on the country from which most of this painting's references were drawn - Italy, 1 month after the painting was done.
My greatest inspirations always come from direct observations of the physical environment that I experience. Using realism as my primary tool, I make works that stage man-made objects and other human traces extracted from often conflicting cultural contexts together, to create an unsettling picture of an ambiguous space. Taking up the role like a mailman, I transport and deliver written languages, iconography, and imagery of urban landscapes from places where I have lived, with minimum alterations of their original form, into one single composition. By doing so, I create unusual visual documentations that are set to induce the audience to question the logic and reason behind the existence of any artifact they would find interesting in my work.
The subjects of my work are often found dancing in between personal, emotionally charged, and broad, politically charged realms. And sometimes the two would become inseparable. In a way, my works are essentially recounts of my subjective experiences of multiple artificial spaces, in which the commonalities and differences present in the way we think and act in our respective social and political environments would manifest upon close examination and contemplation.
Website: mran.art
Instagram: @louissquare13
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GOLDEN DREAMS, from the series, Look Up, Karly Maroney, 2019 - 2020, 12" x 12", Photography, $25
CONNECTED, from the series, Look Up, Karly Maroney, 2019 - 2020, 8" x 10", Photography, $20
GOLDEN DREAMS and CONNECTED encapsulate a new series called, Look Up, which hopes to bring awareness to others through perspectives in photography. The reflection embodied in this style is representative of the time COVID-19 has given me to reflect on what is truly important and valuable, as the busyness of life slowed down and reminded me to not take anything for granted. These images were taken on a solo trip to California to pursue my passions, and as I have found them during quarantine, the style, edits, and artwork came to life.
Instagram: @karlymaroney
CALM AWAKENING, from the series, Mystical Morning, Karly Maroney, 2019 - 2020, 8" x 10", Photography, $20
LEADING OUT, from the series, Mystical Morning, Karly Maroney, 2019 - 2020, 8" x 10", Photography, $20
CALM AWAKENING and LEADING OUT were taken at a pier in Pacifica, the series is titled, Mystical Morning.
“I WOKE UP TO WAVES CRASHING. IT WAS CHILLY THAT NIGHT. NO HOTELS WERE AVAILABLE. IT WAS A LONG DRIVE FROM LA THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WEST COAST. WE UNKNOWINGLY PARKED THE CAR NEXT TO WHAT WAS A HIDDEN OASIS. I HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE ENDED UP, BUT I KNOW I ENTERED A DREAM UPON AWAKENING. WE CHASED THE SOUND OF THOSE CRASHING WAVES. I CAN STILL FEEL THE REFRESHING FOG FILL MY LUNGS WITH FREEDOM. I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE. BUT SAN FRANCISCO WAS CALLING OUR NAME.”
The rest of my short story of my experience there can be found under this series on my Instagram page. These photos remind me of the freedom that comes with spontaneity when you trust the universe to take care. I believe this is what helps me overcome the fears of the unknown, especially the uncertainties of these times.
Instagram: @karlymaroney
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adaptation, Emily Beaver, July 8, 2020, 47 3/4" x 7 1/4", Ink on wood
The giraffe has adapted to have a long neck to eliminate competition for food. Humans, with much shorter necks and more complex emotions, have to adapt to lots of new things. In such confusing times we have learned to adapt and overcome as a community. So, since adaptation is a necessity for the continuation of a species, let’s take what we have learned about adaptation to new ways of life and apply it in our everyday routines.
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Catcher of the Sea, Susan Flanagan, April 2020, 5" x 7", Watercolor
Hiking the C&O Canal, Susan Flanagan, April 2020, 5" x 7", Watercolor
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costco line, Phoebe O'Dell, 2020, 16" x 12", Acrylic on Canvas, $80
eclipse sauce, Phoebe O'Dell, 2020, 16" x 12", Acrylic on Canvas, $80
morning latte, Phoebe O'Dell, 2020, 16" x 12", Acrylic on Canvas, $80
night cap, Phoebe O'Dell, 2020, 16" x 12", Acrylic on Canvas, $80
I painted a lot during quarantine and I feel like I've really become more in tune with who I am as an artist and a creator. Abstract art has become therapeutic for me, and I have learned to appreciate the process just as much as my intended result. I believe that staying active, present, and mindful is the key to happiness.
My work is about finding calmness in the storm. It is about finding balance despite chaos, and being mindful even in times of heartache. I find inspiration in awkward encounters, blind dates, train rides, food, mud, flowers, and buzzing energy. My paintings are wildly colorful; however, they are also intended to be delicate and quiet.
Website: Phoebeodell.com
Instagram: @phreebird
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Tomatoes, Rachel Pomponi, June 2020, 13" x 19", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
Sailing, Rachel Pomponi, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
Open Tulip, Rachel Pomponi, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
Apples, Rachel Pomponi, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
Holly, Rachel Pomponi, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
Tulips, Rachel Pomponi, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
Hammock, Rachel Pomponi, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink, Prints Available Upon Request
I love painting because it captures the pictures in my mind. I think autism gives me a unique perspective of the interaction of shapes and colors that I express in my art. Watercolors with penned outlines work well with my subjects since watercolors are easy to blend and provide vivid colors, and the penned outline sets contrast and borders. Completing the piece to match my vision is my goal and gives me a sense of accomplishment. The art process has helped me to express my view on life. My intent is that my art inspires a positive attitude and outlook in those who view it.
Facebook: Watercolors by Rachel
Instagram: @mark.pomponi
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Think Less/Week Fifteen, Aarthi Haig, June 2020, 7" x 10", Acrylic Paint and Ink on Archival Mixed Media Paper, $100
Silently Screaming/Week Thirteen, Aarthi Haig, June 2020, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink on Archival Watercolor Paper, $300
Flowing Forward/Week Twelve, Aarthi Haig, May 2020, 18" x 24", Watercolor and Ink on Archival Watercolor Paper, $300
Square Pegs Don't Fit In Round Holes/Week Eleven, Aarthi Haig, May 2020, 12" x 16", Watercolor and Ink on Archival Watercolor Paper, $200
Out of the Dark/Week Ten, Aarthi Haig, May 2020, 12" x 14", Watercolor and Ink on Archival Watercolor Paper, $200
Can You Kiss My Boo Boo/Week Five, Aarthi Haig, April 2020, 18" x 24", Painted Wax Paper Collage on Archival Watercolor Paper, $300
Double Dare/Week Three, Aarthi Haig, April 2020, 18" x 24", Acrylic Paint and Paper Collage on Archival Watercolor Paper, $300
I create art to navigate a traumatic past, embrace the present, and visualize the future. The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging times to do this; yet in some ways I felt (and still feel) confident that I'll make it through this unprecedented time because I've already survived so much trauma. To document what I was feeling from when the quarantine started in mid-March through now, I created a series called Stay Home. The pieces in the series document what I've been feeling, week by week, about separating from my partner during the quarantine, homeschooling my children while working full time from home as a civil rights lawyer, trying to adjust to single motherhood, and holding on to sanity wherever I can find it. As with my previous traumas, I’ve found that making art helps me navigate the new worlds I’m in.
Website: ArtisticSurvivor.com
Instagram: @artistic.survivor
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Zoom Portrait, Diana Tsuji, June 2020, 9" x 12", Acrylic on Paper, $75
My therapist suggested I find an indoor activity I loved during stay-at-home orders. After my community art classes were cancelled, I started a virtual art class with friends to keep practicing. Over time we switched from pencil to pen to markers to paint. It also became a weekly update on how COVID-19 was being handled in Maryland, North Carolina, California, Washington, and Italy.
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Sunday Morning Ease, Kris McElroy, May 2020, 8" x 10", Digital Media
Mental Health Day Rejuvenation, Kris McElroy, May 2020, 8" x 10", Digital Media
Mental Health Day Shine, Kris McElroy, May 2020, 8" x 10", Digital Media
During COVID-19 and Beyond Every Day I Rise, Kris McElroy, May 2020, 16" x 20", Digital Media
The story behind the selection of these 4 pieces were they originally started as photographs I took while my wife and I were taking a mental health day together before we got married when we were both struggling and decided to spend a day breathing, talking, and rejuvenating along the Chesapeake Bay. During COVID-19 our original wedding plans were canceled 2 weeks before and got turned into a zoom backyard wedding, but the mental health challenges were heavy for both of us as the impact of COVID-19 was widespread. So, I decided to take photographs from a few months earlier and recreate them with art to create something new to brighten her day in the heart of May that still brings her joy each day as COVID-19 and life continue to move forward, as do we.
Instagram: @mcelroy.kris
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Filters, Josh Schneider, April 2020, 18" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas, $150
The idea behind this piece is that there is so much information and opinions about how one should be that it almost feels like constant static. A lot of people try to apply all these "filters" to themselves so much that they become a mash of filters and forget who/what they are.
Website: behance.net/jschneiderb3ac
Instagram: @jschneider_art
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Back to Basics, Autumn Lynn Miller, July 2020, 18" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas, $200
With distractions of everyday life stripped away, we find light within each other. In our family we find the strength, security, and support to keep going through the uncertainty presented to us. I chose to use primary colors over a neutral background to signify the way our core values shine through and bring us through difficult times.
I am a local artist and interior design student from CCBC Catonsville. I love to capture photos of my son and my sister together and recreate them with mixed media. They are my "kids" and I am so grateful for the time we have been able to spend together since March.
Facebook: autumnmillerartdesign
Instagram: @autumnmutua
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Too Deep, Symone Hardy, July 20, 2020, 11" x 17", Multimedia, $100
The umbrella repelling the water from falling onto him is the overwhelming tears he has shed as he hides behind the golden key to his unhappiness. He feels empty, trapped, and lost on the inside, but partly shows some of the happiness he has inside.
Prized Possession, Symone Hardy, July 20, 2020, 11" x 17", Multimedia, $100
The hoodie makes the masked figure a silent walker. No one notices the person walking in the hoodie wearing a mask to hide from the shame, guilt, and darkness inside. Sometimes you have to be reminded that you are a prize even if you don't believe it.
Behind the Fence, Symone Hardy, May 20, 2020, 11" x 17", Photography, $100
This is part of a photographic series. He is kept back behind a gate that will not let him pass. That's why he holds on for a chance to get back to his normal reality. The green mask represents the jealousy he feels that he cannot control.
Reflection, Symone Hardy, July 20, 2020, 11" x 17", Multimedia, $100
As an African American female, this image shows the curves and true form on the outside but on the inside, the roots embedded in our brain feel so many emotions from anger, happiness, sadness, and an emptiness that you cannot get away from.
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COVID Relief, Gloria Tseng Fischer, June 2020, 12" x 8", Watercolor on Hot Press, $250
My daughter graduated from University of Toronto during COVID quarantine. Flights were cancelled. Non-essential travels are banned between the Canadian and the US border. Coming home is deemed non-essential. After sorting through various legal ALLOWED & NON-ALLOWED rules, we were able to work out the logistics of getting her and her belongings back to Maryland, immediately followed by the recommended two weeks of self-quarantine. It was during this period, I captured my daughter relaxing behind her mask and playing guitar at a social distance of six feet from the rest of the family.
Website: GloriaTsengFischer.com
Instagram: @gloriatsengfischer
Front Porch Quarantine View, Gloria Tseng Fischer, July 2020, 12" x 8", Watercolor on Hot Press, $250
In this quarantine time, I sat on my front porch hoping for evidence of activity. Sometimes, I would turn my head and look at my desolate street. But mostly, I would stare at my neighbor’s house and yard. It’s the same view that I know during normal times.
Website: GloriaTsengFischer.com
Instagram: @gloriatsengfischer