Image: submitted.
Current COVID-19 regulations mean art galleries in New Brunswick can allow patrons inside their doors, but a Saint John gallery’s new project is making their exhibitions “pandemic proof” — even if there’s another lockdown.
Jones Gallery, located at 1 Charlotte Street in uptown Saint John, has launched a new project called Gallery Sounds, which involved rethinking and designing the gallery to “pandemic-proof” their programming so everyone, even those not comfortable going inside, can enjoy the art.
“Back in the spring when everything shut down all of sudden, we started doing all the things that a lot of businesses were doing. We were spending more time on the online shop and stepping up social media, all the normal digital stuff,” says Sarah Jones, the gallery’s curator.
“But it felt like we were really missing having a cohesive exhibition for our artists. That’s the whole point of having a gallery. It’s not just a retail space, it’s a programming space for artists.”
Gallery Sounds combines physical and digital infrastructure to create a safe viewing and learning experience. They built additional walls inside the gallery facing the windows and added new lighting. They then equipped each window and sidewalk square with a link and QR code.
Visitors can go from window to window, see the artwork, scan the code, and hear conversations from the artist and curator about the work without entering the gallery.
“It’s the kind of conversation that you would hear inside the gallery, but you can access it outside,” says Jones.
With Saint John currently in the “orange phase,” Jones Gallery is offering online order and curbside pickup only, making the Gallery Sounds project’s mission quite pertinent. The gallery plans to reopen to the public when the zone moves back to the “yellow phase.”
Under the “yellow” phase of recovery of COVID-19 economic recovery, art galleries like Jones’ are still able to host openings and events with proper social distancing measures and mandatory masks. But even though her spacious gallery makes hosting events feasible, Jones says some people are still left out from the experience.
“We have clients who are in the most at-risk age group or they have friends and family in that group who are going inside [places] as infrequently as possible. That was kind of the idea too,” she says.
“Can we do something so people can see the exhibition and still feel like they are still participating in some kind of gallery experience without having to come in?”
The project also positions the gallery so that if it even needs to close again due to a lockdown, it can still showcase their artists.
“If we have to shut down completely, what can we do to make sure that the exhibitions or the projects can go forward for the artists no matter what, even if the gallery has to close completely again,” says Jones.
Gallery Sounds currently features exhibitions by Saint John artist Darren Emenau and Fredericton-based artist Jared Peters. Though the project was spawned the challenges Covid-19 presented, Jones says it’s a format the gallery can continue to use even after the pandemic is over.”
“COVID has forced us to think about alternative strategies, but also the time to pursue ideas in a meaningful way also,” she says.
Cherise Letson is the associate editor of Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
