With public
facilities closed for the foreseeable future, Prince Albert’s Mann Art Gallery
is finding new and creative ways to connect with art lovers.
Starting today,
Gallery employees will host a daily virtual programming series live on YouTube
and Facebook. The series will run for the next two weeks.
Mann Art
Gallery acting director and curator Lana Wilson said they’ve cancelled or
rescheduled a number of programs and exhibitions. She hopes these virtual
programs will help fill that void.
“You can’t
stop people from making art,” Wilson said during an interview on Monday. “We
will always enjoy seeing the art that is out there. We can just enjoy it in a
new way now.”
The virtual
programs include an art appreciation discussion on Tuesday, a live art activity
for children on Wednesday and a Mann Art Gallery collection discussion on
Thursday. The Friday program will be a sketchbook/journal theme of the week, in
which viewers are encouraged to create a piece of art based on the theme, then
post it on Facebook or Instagram.
“Hopefully
it’s going to engage (people) across the many different demographics and appeal
to the different interests of our members, while also supporting the things
that the Mann Art Gallery does best,” Wilson explained.
Staff
members have been looking for ways to boost the gallery’s social media presence
for a while, but the current program ideas didn’t come into place until the
government-mandated COVID-19 shutdown. They were pleasantly surprised at how
well-received Friday’s Facebook live announcement of the Winter Festival Art
Show and Sale winner, which inspired them to look at new ways to connect with
their audience.
Wilson said
artists and art lovers value face-to-face interaction, something that smaller
walk-in galleries like the Mann Art Gallery excel at. Moving those interactions
online is going to be a challenge, but she’s confident it will prove popular.
“We’re
still here, we’re still working and we can have art continue to inspire us,”
she said. “There’s a way to connect with the Mann Art Gallery, with art
activities, with art education opportunities, and with local artists … even
when we’re closed. I think that idea of maintaining connection with our members
during these difficult times is the primary goal of this current social media
experiment.”
If they
prove popular, gallery staff may continue the live virtual programs after the
COVID-19 outbreak ends. Wilson said it likely won’t be as intensive a schedule,
so art lovers can’t expect virtual programming every day, but they’re open to
doing the occasional live video on YouTube or Facebook.
“Hopefully
this will be really successful experiment,” she said. “Certainly, we’ll be
maintaining that goal of increasing our social media presence. I can’t promise
that all of these things will continue, but at the moment, I think it’s a great
way for us to be spending our time.”
“This is very new,” she added. “I hope people will stick with us.”
Mann Art Gallery virtual programming schedule
Monday: Posting of art created over
the weekend and upcoming program topics.
Tuesday: Art Appreciation Discussion with Acting Director/Curator Lana Wilson,
live on YouTube, 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday: “Danie’s Hive of Creativity,” an Art Activity for Children with
Acting Educator Danielle Castle, video tutorial with supplies lists and
templates, Wednesday morning on YouTube with FB and Instagram image galleries.
Thursday: Mann Art Gallery Collections / Vault Discussion with Registrar Tia
Furstenberg, video, some Q&A, on YouTube, cross posting to FB and Instagram.
Thursday afternoon, 3:00 p.m.
Friday: Sketchbook / Art Journal Theme of the Week announced by rotating
staff. We will give you (and each other) an art theme to make art or journal
about, and then share the results on Monday’s and throughout the week. At least
1 staff member will make art about the theme and post it on Monday on FB and
Instagram. We want to see what you make, too! For children, teens and adults.
Theme announced at 10:00 a.m.
