June 15th will mark when the Vancouver Art Gallery reopens for public gatherings. Visitors familiar with this institution will notice changes in their operations, which have been prompted with the COVID-19 pandemic. These health & safety measures were released on June 5th, indicating that those wanting to visit will have to abide by provincial health guidelines. Refusal will prompt that individual immediately being removed from the premise, with local health authorities being informed of this civilian’s incompliance. Multiple reports could prompt that individual entering “Incompliance Status”, resulting in fines being issued

The Vancouver Art Gallery maintains four galleries, all on separate floors. This is allowing VAG to support a guest capacity of 225 under provincial health guidelines. Floor markets will be implemented, with signage also listed. Visitors will be informed upon entering the institution to abide by the markers & signs, enabling certain social distancing.

Managing the 225-capacity limitation is being maintained through online bookings. Visiting the Vancouver Art Gallery without a “Timed Entry VAG Ticket” will see those individuals turned away. Booking these tickets is possible for one-hour intervals, with each consumer allowed to visit once per day. The online system supporting VAG Tickets is going live on June 9th for Private Members of this institution, with the general public allowed to purchase Timed Entry Tickets by June 11th.

Measures are being enforced once civilians enter the Vancouver Art Gallery. All ticketholders must commit to a two-metre distancing protocol, with this institution demanding that masks be worn. Those visiting this facility without protective face equipment will be forced to purchase a cover from the gallery. Refusal to buy a mask will prompt that individual being removed from the premise. There’ll be additional measures enlisted before June 15th, with those being available through the Digital Gallery Visitor Guide by the 11th.

It should be mentioned that Plexiglass Barriers have been installed, protecting the Vancouver Art Gallery workforce from possible contracts of COVID-19. All visitors will also be told to hand regularly sanitize, ensuring that a stringent cleaning process is enacted. Those feeling unwell are recommended not to attend this facility & return their ticket.

The development of art in rural communities throughout North America can reunite the people. Multiple institutions are engaging with new formats to showcase art based on recent events in 2020. RAW Artists is the most influential institution creating a showcase venue, which will be formatted in a manner never-before-seen. Artistic individuals working with RAW in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will display their pieces of art from their homes. The venue is being called the RAW National Arts Drive, where it’ll be held across these three nations on June 6th. Artwork will be seen from Front Lawns, Driveways, Balconies, and Rented Commercial Space. Local musicians will also be playing their latest songs to those passing by. This is the perfect way to display art with social distancing in mind.

The artistic stylings seen throughout Canada will resemble true isolation, with the overwhelming majority remaining indoors under the enforced social distancing measures. American artwork relating to COVID-19 will mimic the desire for freedom, breaking from the enacted legislation and avoiding policies like their president. Mexicans participating in the National Arts Drive are suspected to relate towards the protection of families, essence of religion, and unfavourable health care conditions.

The Executive Director of RAW Artists clarified that resources are available for supporting artists. It’ll provide them with the necessary tools to create paintings, which will include canvases and utensils. Those traversing through the neighbourhoods where the National Arts Drive are located will notice that these paintings are available for purchase. All pictures sold will have their funds donated towards COVID-19 Relief Aids.

Successor Failure?

It’s unknown if the National Arts Drive will be successful. These artists are dependent on letting their communities know about the upcoming festival of art. A significant factor that’ll boost their popularity in rural communities across North America is the NAD Application. Visitors can learn detailed information regarding the paintings they visit, provide comments similar to social media, and even follow those individuals on Instagram. This method of contact is unlike anything else that’s ever been seen in the art community. It could revolutionize how GenX Artists approach their supporters.

Supporters behind the international art community were saddened to learn that an iconic artist from Egypt had died. Adam Henein was famous for creating some of the most influential paintings & sculptures in Modern Egyptian, with his designs resembling the outstanding designs associated with pharaohs. Confirmation of his death was made by the Henein Foundation’s director, who informed media personnel that Adam died at 91 from age-related complications.

Adam Henein stands as the most influential artist in modern Arabian culture. His career centred around the workings of Egyptian sculptures & paintings. When mimicking these works, Adam would famously utilize the same materials used by his ancient ancestors. This would include Papyrus, Bronze, and Granite. One of the more conventional themes seen in Adam’s work included bird in motion, which would transcend both forms of his art style. Fans of Henein often find similar birds located in one painting & then a sculpture, showing the connectivity behind Adams work.

Egypt hasn’t forgotten the man who famously worked on the Sphinx, repairing individual sections of this iconic & ancient beast. This is a right granted to the highest-qualified artists in Egypt. Chances to improve the Sphinx is rare, with an opportunity coming every few hundred years. Close friends to Adam Henein remarked that the motif of birds was considered in his repairs. Henein considered placing a hieroglyph similar to his infamous birds. The fallout of these actions would be severe and prompted the educated artist to remain dedicated to the original design.

The History of Adam Henein

Adam Henein was born in 1929 at the same Cairo Hospital where he’d die. Born into a family of Asyut Metalworkers, his life would forever be changed when walking into the “Cairo Egyptian Antiquities Museum” for the 1st time. Within his biography, it’s recalled that Adam felt an odd feeling that was similar to discovering a new place in our world. This feeling was beyond that of physics or textbooks.

This prompted a young Adam to move towards as artistic, educational background, which began in the early 1950s. Less than five years later and he’d obtain a degree from the “Cairo School of Fine Arts”. After receiving this degree, Adam Henein would join the Munich Fine Arts Academy in the 1960s. This extensive formal training enabled him to acquire capabilities that most artists dream of obtaining.

Producing artistic creations during the novel coronavirus has proven challenging for nearly everyone in the field. This stems from multiple issues, like supply shops being shut down for prolonged periods and museums closing their doors. Creating these projects has turned nearly impossible for all, including notable artists like Rachel Whiteread. She mentioned that even with artists working in their studios alone, there had been significant financial tolls.

Paintings aren’t being sold to collectors and museums aren’t accepting any new exhibitions for another three months. The creative aspect has also begun to falter, with saddening headlines filling social media feeds and news applications worldwide. Finding the strength to create positive & uplifting art pieces is hard to accomplish in this kind of environment.

Rachel Whiteread hasn’t allowed herself to turn her back on the artistic community. She announced through Twitter that a £5,000.00 donation was made to the ArtAngel Fund. This charitable donation will assist emerging artists with supplies & tutorials from famous creators in the United Kingdom. When questioned on why she provided the ArtAngel Fund with this donation, Rachel mentioned that the associated challenges withdrawing during a global pandemic are forcing these emerging artists to limit their capabilities.

The financial burdens associated with COVID-19 is causing these individuals to have limited finances, with their available funds being placed towards essential items. Maintaining the ArtAngel Fund with a £5,000.00 donation provides hope to a percentage of these emerging artists.

Rachel’s Past with ArtAngel

The ArtAngel Fund has provided emerging creators in the United Kingdom with financial assistance from 30+ years. Throughout 1993, this fund commissioned Rachel Whiteread with a specialized workhouse. This enabled her to create notable pieces of art, awarding Rachel the “Turner Prize” in the same year. Nearly three decades later and Whiteread has become one of the most famous artists in these four nations.

Rachel emphasized that she has entered a limbo, where she founds her creative process being dampened by concerns over the coronavirus and future of the art community. Whiteread now wonders if the associated financial difficulties with COVID-19 will force Museums & Art Exhibitions to shut down worldwide.

Artists worldwide have used their capabilities towards spreading a positive message to healthcare workers. This extends towards the United Kingdom, with their secretive but influential artist by the name of Banksy, releasing a new piece of artwork. Banksy had previously released artwork in April from his home’s bathroom, which centred around graffiti and went against his conventional artistic stylings. It prompted a backlash in the creative community, with Banksy responding by creating new artwork for the Southampton General Hospital in England.

Created as a monochromatic painting, this artwork is placed in the front lobby towards the Emergency Department. It was unveiled on May 12th as a tribute to the National Health Service, who’s been regularly commended in the United Kingdom. Banksy noted that its also dedicate to all healthcare workers worldwide combating the COVID-19 pandemic. This artwork was named correctly “The Painting for Saints”.

It showcases a young child that’s engaging with a newly purchased toy, throwing away his former action heroes into the garbage. Banksy drew Batman and Spider-Man into a trashcan, with the young boy selecting a female nurse from the National Health Service instead. This unidentifiable nurse wears a mask and cape, with Banksy showing that medical workers are the genuine superheroes in our lives.

The Banksy Note

This infamous artist provided his thanks towards the National Health Service by writing a small passage onto “The Painting for Saints”. The little personalized note remarked his thanks, and that Banksy hopes this painting will bring brightness into Southampton General Hospital. It should be mentioned that this artwork will remain at SGH until Fall 2020, where it’ll then be sold for proceeds towards the NHS Foundation. Considering that artwork from Banksy sells for an average of $10 million per piece, it’s expected that this specialized painting will cost collectors upwards of $15 million or more. A substantial donation would subsequently be awarded to the NHS Foundation.

The Chief Executive Officer of Southampton General Hospital thanked Banksy for the artist’s efforts. Paula Head mentioned she’s proud to showcase the Painting for Saints and knows it’ll lift the spirits of healthcare workers in the United Kingdom.

Tablets have become a priority piece of technology for artists worldwide, with devices like the iPad or Samsung Tab providing these individuals with an exceptional drawing application. Digital drawing has become the more accessible format for artistic creations, as their portable through a variety of platforms. Those include social media services and programs like Photoshop. Below we’ve comprised the three best applications available to artists in 2020.

Adobe Illustrator Draw

The 1st application with defining capabilities is Adobe illustrator Draw. It enables versatile features that support cloud integration with Photoshop. Convenience is provided to consumers engaging with the Adobe Ecosystem, with nearly all styluses on markets supported. It’s recommended that artists engaging with Illustrator Draw engage with the Adobe Ink Pen, with it supporting unique importing options from Color & Shape CC. It should be mentioned that drawing can be exported and imported with other devices through the Adobe Illustrator Draw app.

Pixelmator

The 2nd application reviewed is exclusive for the Apple Ecosystem, with the drawing app available on all renditions of the iPad. It’s recommended that to receive the full experience of versatile digital drawing; it’s best to purchase the iPad Pro – 2020 Edition. Afterwards, select the Apple Store and download Pixelmator for $4.99. This application provides unique capabilities, with colour correction supported and manipulation tools implemented. Megapixel sized maxed at 100MP are enabled, which is matches by 100+ different brushes. Artistic features extend towards Paint and Layer Effects, creating a drawing that goes beyond expectations in the digital format. It should be mentioned that Pixelmator supports the exporting of JPEGs and PNGs to Photoshop or iCloud.

Astropad Studio

The 3rd and final application supported by our review are Astropad Studio. It’s another service exclusive to the iOS platform, with direct correlation to MacOS and Adobe Photoshop. It supports premium brushes that can engage with 10+ thousand colours via their digital library. This application is designed, updated, and supported by graphic professionals. It’s directly meant for usage with the Apple Pencil and has supportive capabilities with USB Connectivity. This creates a level of responsive when drawing that no other application has managed. However, this fine-tuning will cost consumers $11.99 monthly or $79.99 yearly.

Retail locations throughout the Vancouver region have been boarded-up to ensure criminals don’t commit breaking & entering. It’s an unknown sight throughout the Vancouver region, which has been prompted after the COVID-19 pandemic infected thousands in the area. This hasn’t stopped various business owners through Downtown Vancouver and its surrounding areas to look at the situation with positive eyes. These business owners have teamed up with local artists to create specialized murals surrounding the coronavirus. These murals often express positive remarks, like thanking domestic healthcare workers or telling civilians to remain positive. Other paintings are informative and tell locals to stay indoors for social distancing.

The Murals of Gratitude Project has officially begun throughout the Vancouver region. It’s being headed by the Gastown Business Improvement Association, who has supplied locations for approved artists to create their murals. An official statement was issued by the GBIA, who expressed that businesses closing their doors can enact positive messages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the perfect way to keep customers loyal to their particular brand, as this unique project shows an exceptional level of sentiment towards the unprecedented situation.

The GBIA mentioned that their excitement for this project to enter its completion phases, which will allow Canadians and worldwide civilians to embrace these artistic murals from their respective homes via the internet. Paintings will appeal to millions worldwide, with the stylings and themes being altered depending on which artist is selected. Large percentages of the selected artists have chosen to create murals that centre around the beauty of life and social distancing. They hope it’ll inspire locals to remain indoors for their benefit and societies, ensuring that the beauty of life can be experienced in the short future.

The Beginning

Downtown Vancouver supports a variety of retail locations, including fashion boutiques and coffee cafes. Book stores reminiscent from the early 1900s can be found in Downtown Vancouver, with this extending to a variety of Artistic Shops. This includes Kim Prints, a Custom Art & Framing Shop. The unnamed owner of this location was one of the 1st to board up her retail store. Immediately afterwards, photographers show that this woman was painting a positive mural. It inspired dozens of other shop owners to follow suit.

The Singer Laren Art Museum in Amsterdam has experienced unexpected circumstances throughout COVID-19. This museum was forced to shutdown by March 12th, with everything seemingly appearing alright until April 3rd. This marked the date that criminals entered this facility during the night, breaking one of the glass windows. They stole an oil painting from 1884, which was drawn from Vincent Van Gogh. This artwork piece is named “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring”. Whomever stole this property will be disappointed to learn it’s never been appraised, meaning its street value is minimal. However, pieces from Vincent Van Gogh have acquired upwards of $30 Million during auctions.

The Director of the Singer Laren Art Museum, Jan Rudolph de Lorn, mentioned her anger towards this situation during a virtual press conference. Jan expressed how pissed off and shocked she has become over this situation. That art is meant in create inspiration and bring joy to millions worldwide. It’s meant to be shared amongst society and not stolen during an unprecedented time like COVID-19.

This isn’t the 1st instance where criminal associates have taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout February, a Stockholm Museum experienced a robbery. Thieves stole a specific piece of art, with the remaining collection being stolen. These individuals hoped that it’d set investigators into disarray. Considering that this singular art piece hasn’t been found, that shows law enforcement that black market auctions haven’t begun. An additional robbery happening throughout Europe extended towards the Oxford College in Great Britain. They had three paintings from the 16th & 17th Century, with law enforcement unable to determine who the criminal masterminds were.

Jordan Arnold

This prompted the employment of Jordan Arnold, the chief executive officer with the Art Recovery International Institution. He reviews risk advisories with the K2 Intelligence Software. These technologies allow for criminals to be found, it’s expected that the Singer Laren Art Museum and Stockholm Art Museum will require the assistance of Jordan Arnold as well. It’ll be nearly impossible for criminals to ship these illegal works or cross international borders. Limitations on travelling across borders includes by vehicle only, with proof being required behind your essential role in another country. Jordan monitoring this situation will reveal this criminal once they make their first move.