The entire country of Italy is currently in a national “lock-down” to help lessen the spread of the coronavirus.  The Siena Art Institute’s building is closed until April 3 as required by this national mandate, but our work and creativity continues. (Click here for more info on how the Siena Art Institute is responding to the coronavirus) The Siena Art Institute’s young artists and instructors are working remotely and “meeting” through video-conferencing to provide mentorship, facilitate brain-storming and project development, and offering feedback on work-in-process.

Some of our international participants have had to depart while our four Greek students are remaining in Siena in the apartment they share.  It’s true that it is a challenge to lead studio art courses remotely, and we wish we could be together in-person but it is imporant to abide by the national #iostoacasa mandate, so we are trying to be inventive with alternate possibilities!

In fact, rather than trying to just “carry on” despite the virus crisis, we are considering how we as artists can respond to the unprecedented times that we are living through, and how art an be a means to process and make sense of what is happening around us.  Here are some screenshots of our recent skype meetings together…

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