Covid-19 Lockdown Inspires Creative Solutions from University’s Art Students

Forest Distribution - Juliet Mootz

The second year Fine Art students would usually showcase their work with an annual end of year show, which has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Determined that their hard work should still be seen, the students are using digital translations of their work and social media to ensure that the show goes on in another form.

“Adapting to new digital environments has been a challenge in such a short space of time, but as artists, our work is about responding to our changing environment,” said Juliet Mootz, one of the students involved.  “We tell our stories by creating a bridge for our audiences; finding the right bridge is part of the journey.” 

This week four student shows, under an umbrella title of ‘Y2Collective’, will show their work live at four online gallery locations. 

Juliet’s exhibition Forest Distribution, which explores fragility and the environment, is now live through The Hive website www.thehiveworcester.org or at www.julietmootz.com.  She uses salvaged materials to present ideas and question our relationship with the environment and the power balance within our world. 

Today (Wednesday, April 22), Up To No Good, a collaborative project between Lauren Thawley, Jamie Hopkins and Steven Nedic, originally planned to be on location in Worcester storage containers, will be available online.  The artists say that the work will reflect social observations and conflict of interests, using everyday materials transformed into text, image and sculptural forms.

Ellie Payton and Erica Hodgkins’ exhibition, Undivulged, which explores issues of debt and mental health through print, film, textiles and photography, will be available via Instagram @undivulged.art also from today (Wednesday, April 22).                   

Finally, in a transatlantic collaboration Jess Barrett and Emily Waddingham, based in the UK, and fellow student Kira Benton, who is residing in the US until restrictions are lifted, present their work Full Disclosure.  It explores controversial topics, including the current Covid-19 virus, perceptions of life, death, waste and liberty.  This also goes online from today (Wednesday, April 22) via instagram  @y2c_fd.