Students create virtual art show to replace the cancelled in-person showing

Last train home
Artist Emily Chen

During these challenging times, it’s important that arts and culture remain accessible to people. As Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan’s acknowledged on the same day that Gov. Inslee extended the stay-home order until early May, our residents rely on “…musicians and artists (to) ensur(e) (that) our…incredible culture continues to be accessible to all” (Durkan Digest, April 2, 2020). 

This is especially true for young artists whose imagination will shape our future.

Remember the cancelled student-organized art show called “Coming Home”? (See previous article).

The show is still mounted at City Hall but inaccessible while the quarantine is in place.

The students have created a virtual tour of the artwork by creating a webpage with 96 images of art by Shorewood students.

Shoreline Public Art Coordinator David Francis says, "Great job under difficult circumstances by Taylor Wang, George Segress, Kaitlin Tang, Alice Mao, Adam Yu; with support from Seattle Artist League. Hoping the world will eventually get a chance to share and celebrate this accomplishment!"

Here is a statement prepared by the students:

The central theme of the most recent Student Art Spaces exhibition Coming Home challenges young artists to reflect on what home means to them and display these ideas through visual art. For some artists, the idea of “home” is represented by a literal country or physical location which becomes the subject of a piece, whereas for others, a piece can kindle unique emotions that embody their individual experiences with “home.”

With the current stressful state of political division, global pandemics, and individual struggles in school, it is vital that art offers an escape and community for teens to return to, in other words, a metaphorical home. Exclusive to local teen artists, the Coming Home exhibition offers a creative opportunity to display how the state of Washington has become a home to them and what that means to each of them individually.

There will be an actual opening reception in May or June when the quarantine is lifted. 

In the meantime, King County’s arts and culture organization 4culture is now offering artists emergency relief funds (apply by May 15).