Elizabeth Shriver Ceramics
Even in the best of times, it's tough to find success as an artist. We work diligently to get into exhibitions, find galleries and make sales. It’s never the easy
part of pursuing a creative career. Most of us would prefer to make our art and leave the business side of things to someone else, but of course there is usually no one to pick up the slack. If
you want other people to see or buy your work, you have no choice but to discover and pursue the opportunities available to you.
And then along comes the unthinkable — a pandemic! How are artists affected? Well, if you are like me, you do your work alone in a studio where social distancing is
a part of everyday life. Making art is not the hard part of coping with the current situation, in fact it’s an escape from all the bad news, the stress and uncertainty. What gets me down is the
news coming from galleries, art centers and museums announcing closures and the suspension of their exhibition calendars. Virtually every facility that features art finds it challenging to stay
in business during normal times, even when the economy is thriving. And now? I shudder to think how they will get by.
One by one, I have received messages from the galleries that represent my work telling me they are “closing indefinitely,” or doing "deliveries and curbside pickup
only.” I was informed that the "Hard Won, Not Done" exhibition at the Muscatine
Art Center had to close early, and the reception and the artist panel discussion I was planning to participate in were cancelled. It saddens me to think of all the preparation that went
into this show, and how far back the planning went. How many other exhibitions around the globe have suffered the same fate?
I had also been
looking forward to the upcoming “7 Artists, 3 Dimensions” exhibition at the Olson Larsen Gallery in Des Moines. It was my first opportunity to show my work in this venue, so I was
excited. But of course, that too was affected by the pandemic. Fortunately, the gallery is finding creative ways to continue with their plans, so this show will now be featured
online. There’s no substitute for seeing 3D work in person, though, but right now it simply isn’t possible.
Every one of us is affected by the pandemic in one way or another, and those of us who have remained healthy and are still able to do our work should count our
blessings. I try to keep my own challenges in perspective, but I think it’s perfectly normal to feel disappointed right now. Though artists spend much of our time alone, we thrive on the
opportunity to get out of the studio and show the outside world what we’ve created. For now, we wait, sometimes impatiently. But we keep the faith -- art will continue and thrive.
Check out these resources for artists:
Where to find help:
How to relieve stress through art:
Sell your work online:
https://theabundantartist.com/15-ways-to-sell-your-art-online/
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