By Selin Ozgur
With the pandemic at the forefront of most individual’s lives, the arts in its various forms--music, visual arts, etc., have been an amazing way to spend free time and escape. With this has come the rise of virtual concerts, live streams, and other events which have not only been showcasing this area but also thanking the frontline workers during these difficult times. Many well-known public figures and artists are getting creative to stay connected with fans, while in some cases, being able to continue bringing in revenue. That said, the real question is, will these live-streamed events survive to post Covid-19?
The majority of those in this conversation believe that live streams will never be able to completely replace in-person, virtual, concerts. However, they could become their own category, almost a genre, per se. Other areas of the arts have also been forced to get creative during these different times, while also shedding light on those that might otherwise go unnoticed or forgotten.
Several Vancouver based businesses have been used as canvases, due to their closing, and covered with plywood. One of the largest projects has been turning closed businesses into canvases of beautiful and meaningful art is called, “the power of portrait: we are all in this together, Vancouver.” This project included citizens sending photos of themselves in black and white, which are then hung up with this phrase, in order to inspire and give hope. On the other hand, there have even been paintings, murals, and street work being done, including those that are honoring public health officials, Dr Bonnie Henry and Dr Theresa Tam. The vibrancy that these pieces of art have brought is encouraged, as local artists are invited to sign up so that they can get in contact with store font owners and continue this positive work. This has not been happening in Vancouver only and has been popping up around Toronto and other big cities, mainly in the form of vivid and positive street art.
With the pandemic at the forefront of most individual’s lives, the arts in its various forms--music, visual arts, etc., have been an amazing way to spend free time and escape. With this has come the rise of virtual concerts, live streams, and other events which have not only been showcasing this area but also thanking the frontline workers during these difficult times. Many well-known public figures and artists are getting creative to stay connected with fans, while in some cases, being able to continue bringing in revenue. That said, the real question is, will these live-streamed events survive to post Covid-19?
The majority of those in this conversation believe that live streams will never be able to completely replace in-person, virtual, concerts. However, they could become their own category, almost a genre, per se. Other areas of the arts have also been forced to get creative during these different times, while also shedding light on those that might otherwise go unnoticed or forgotten.
Several Vancouver based businesses have been used as canvases, due to their closing, and covered with plywood. One of the largest projects has been turning closed businesses into canvases of beautiful and meaningful art is called, “the power of portrait: we are all in this together, Vancouver.” This project included citizens sending photos of themselves in black and white, which are then hung up with this phrase, in order to inspire and give hope. On the other hand, there have even been paintings, murals, and street work being done, including those that are honoring public health officials, Dr Bonnie Henry and Dr Theresa Tam. The vibrancy that these pieces of art have brought is encouraged, as local artists are invited to sign up so that they can get in contact with store font owners and continue this positive work. This has not been happening in Vancouver only and has been popping up around Toronto and other big cities, mainly in the form of vivid and positive street art.