By Kathy Chouteau
Richmond residents sheltering-at-home through Tuesday, April 7 to help contain the spread of COVID-19 can still experience cultural enrichment—as well as a virtual escape—thanks to local art hubs.
NIAD Art Center, a nonprofit which nurtures the artistic development of people with disabilities, and the Richmond Art Center are currently offering opportunities to explore the fine arts online.
An online exhibition called “The Eight Cats Also Eight Flowers,” is available to peruse on NIAD Art Center’s website. The exhibition was selected by Claire Barliant, a writer and curator from Cambridge, MA, and includes eight different works by NIAD artists Jeremy Burleson, Ann Meade, Susan Wise, Raven Harper, Deatra Colbert, Heather Hamann, Danny Thach and Julio Del Rio.
“I chose these art works because they make me feel happy and inspired,” said Barliant on NIAD’s website. “I think if I owned any one of these pieces, and looked at it once a day, my heart would feel full. All of these motivate me to be creative and make things. My thanks to the artists for their wonderful work.”
Given the exhibition’s upbeat vibe, it might be easy to fall in love with a few of the pieces. The good news? All of the pieces are for sale online; prices range from $30 to $240 per artwork. Keep in mind that, if you purchase a piece, you may have to wait for delivery since NIAD is currently closed during the shelter-at-home period.
Over at the Richmond Art Center (RAC), an Exhibitions Video Library is showcasing its vibrant art community through the use of videos that “illuminate the artists and their work,” per the center. The RAC is also closed during the shelter-in-place period, but you can still immerse yourself in art via video by clicking on the featured artists listed below:
David Park and The Human Spirit
2015 Summer Members Show Spotlight Artists
Spun, Dyed, Woven & Tied Fiber Arts Symposium
Learn more about NIAD Art Center here and the Richmond Art Center here.
