Martha Bennett Gallery Goes Online

Since the governor’s social distancing order, the Martha Bennett Gallery Curatorial Team has experienced unexpected cancelations of their exhibits and shows; in spite of these complications, they have found creative new ways to share their exhibits through social media. 

Due to COVID-19 changes, the Curatorial Team has been forced to think outside of the box and adjust their system. Nora Cornell ‘21 explains her team’s new strategy: “We have transferred our focus to what is going on in the physical space to how we can bring art to the Blake community digitally.” 

By continuing to connect with students and faculty online, the Curatorial Team remains an integral part of the community. Lilian Anderson ‘20 says, “I think we’re all struggling a little with our new reality, but we’re all finding the fun things and using our extra time to make some headway into planning for next year. We have worked to create a sense of community with our weekly meetings, and it’s been overall great.” By shifting their concentration from the physical gallery to the digital community, the team has been able to share their most recent exhibit about climate change on Instagram. 

Having the opportunity to not only view art but also create it is key for many. Anderson says, “A lot of people are reaching for paintbrushes, cooking utensils, and music to help cope with their new realities, and I think it’s really heartwarming to see how much creative energy is in all of us and the solidarity it’s providing too many right now.” By shifting to an online platform, the Martha Bennett Curatorial Team continues to share their exhibits, helping the Blake community alleviate stress and providing an outlet for students to be creative.