How can art help during difficult times | United Artspace (2024)

We are half way through the year and this is a great time to check in with what you want from the remaining 6 months of the year and what you are going to:

START

STOP

BELIEVE

If you are feeling defeated, I highly recommend checking in with why your art matters! This can give you the fuel to keep going. Don’t underestimate the power your art has on yourself and others.

For our first edition of our magazine, we asked the Artwork Archive to write an article and they covered this very subject matter – why we need art during difficult times.

Art allows us…

…..to examine what it means to be human, to voice and express, and to bring people and ideas together.

We are still experiencing a global pandemic, a year into COVID-19. In difficult times, we need humanity, expression, and the community that the arts create.

This is a time to value the arts. Whether big or small, sidewalk chalk art or community murals, art makes a difference in how we live our lives.

The arts create wellness in our day-to-day lives by helping us process our lives individually and allowing us to come together collectively. Art allows us to communicate from afar, generating positivity, appreciation and hope during COVID-19 and beyond.

Art matters. Here’s why:

Art is an expression of what it means to be human

Art-making and viewing art allows us to process our experiences. It helps us to express and to understand the world around us.

We define our human experience by the cultures we create and participate in. Culture, made up of customs, social interactions and activities, is fueled by the arts. Be it music, food or visual arts, culture and the arts are inseparable.

Art fosters understanding between communities

Over the course of the last year, we saw art being used as a tool to create stronger communities. Art allows us to not just understand ourselves, but to understand each other on a deeper level.

Going online has encouraged us to engage with online arts in a way to connect more deeply with current issues and events. There are a multitude of ways to experience the arts virtually. Museums moved their exhibits online, and virtual galleries are hosting online show openings and artist talks.

Art is good for our health

Art is a proven tool for stress reduction and well-being. Art has promoted health within our homes during COVID-19 as families have been getting creative at home. As we are spending more time by ourselves during this pandemic, art and craft-making have rocketed.

Public art allows us to see ourselves and our identities within a larger society and to feel comfortable in our surroundings.

Art can be a public health tool during COVID-19

Art helps to quickly communicate ideas through memorable visuals.

Public art can be used as a directive tool in a crisis to benefit our general wellbeing. When artists create public art featuring masks to reflect our current experiences, they send a powerful message to the public.

Art guides and signals how people should interact and behave within a space. Visual clues help us understand how we fit into a space and make statements about what a community values.

Art helps us express gratitude during difficult times

While we are not able to congregate with friends and families as we usually would as we live through this pandemic, art allows us to create a message of gratitude from a distance.

Artists of all types and from all over the world have been creating artworks that thank essential workers and healthcare workers.

Art makes close-to-home spaces more meaningful

Artists are rising to the occasion with art projects centered on themes of coronavirus and quarantine. Banksy playfully interpreted his stay-at-home life with a topsy turvy work from home cane in his bathroom. Banksy typically creates large-scale public artworks. His work-from-home scene shows rats wreaking havoc in his real-life apartment complete with his mirror askew and rats treadmilling on toilet paper rolls and swinging from hand towel rings.

Art Allows us to Document & Process Events

World events are often remembered through what comes to be iconic artwork.

More and more, art is appearing around the United States and the world to document our experiences over the last year. Art helps to make social justice visible and document movements – it is able to rally support and create a sense of community in times of crisis.

We need the arts in difficult times.

Art gives us immeasurable personal and social benefits. We rely on the arts to help us through difficult times.

Art reminds us that we are not alone and that we share a universal human experience. Through art, we feel deep emotions together and are able to process experiences, find connections and create impact.

Art helps us to record and process more than just individual experiences.

These are points taken from the Artwork Archive article – read the full article here.

Remember

Remember creating is important and there are so many people throughout the world who need art, love art and appreciate art.

Keep creating. Keep making.

Much love,

Michelle x.

How can art help during difficult times | United Artspace (2024)

FAQs

How can art help during difficult times | United Artspace? ›

Art reminds us that we are not alone and that we share a universal human experience. Through art, we feel deep emotions together and are able to process experiences, find connections and create impact. Art helps us to record and process more than just individual experiences.

How does art help you with problem-solving? ›

It puts whatever you're doing in a different context. When it comes to problem-solving, we need to have a different context because the same old, same old isn't working. Art as a sort of visual genre gives us a place to take our brains to start thinking about problems.

Why is art important in space? ›

Art can show the beauty, mystery, and awe of space in a way that goes well with scientific data and images. Art can also be used to explain and share the experience of space exploration with a wider audience. One way that art and space exploration work together is through the use of 'art in space' missions.

How does art help us to understand the lives of people of different times places and cultures? ›

We learn about ancient civilizations through art, but we also learn about the stories of others in our own world and even in our own culture through art. It speaks of the experiences of others, and the stories, whether verbally, dramatically, or visually told, tell us what it means to be alive to another person.

How does art improve a space? ›

Art plays an important role in a space. It can enhance the aesthetic appeal of both homes and offices and provide numerous benefits. It can have a transformative effect, and it can be used to tell a story, add life to a space, or to create a focal point that will elevate the feel of a room.

Does art help in difficult times? ›

Art allows people to express themselves without placing so much emphasis on talking. At times it can be difficult to find the words to share how you are feeling. Art allows individuals to take an internal stressor and externalize it,. It is also a great way to visually work through problems and come up with solutions.

How can art help us? ›

Art gives us meaning and helps us understand our world. Scientific studies have proven that art appreciation improves our quality of life and makes us feel good. When we create art, we elevate our mood, we improve our ability to problem solve, and open our minds to new ideas.

What is positive space in art? ›

Positive space refers to the subject or areas of interest in an artwork, such as a person's face or figure in a portrait, the objects in a still life painting, or the trees in a landscape painting. Negative space is the background or the area that surrounds the subject of the work.

What are four uses of space in art? ›

Artists strategically use positive and negative space in art to create effective imagery, convey messages and meanings, create balance, and draw the eye to their intended focal point. An artist's use of space can also add depth and perspective, creating the illusion that some objects are bigger or closer than others.

How does art show space? ›

Space in a work of art refers to a feeling of depth or three dimensions. It can also refer to the artist's use of the area within the picture plane. The area around the primary objects in a work of art is known as negative space, while the space occupied by the primary objects is known as positive space.

How can art impact society? ›

Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Research has shown art affects the fundamental sense of self. Painting, sculpture, music, literature and the other arts are often considered to be the repository of a society's collective memory.

What are the five purposes of art? ›

∎ There are five purposes for visual art: Ceremonial, Artistic Expression, Narrative, Functional and Persuasive. -Ceremonial art is made to celebrate or commemorate something important in the culture, in ritual or worship, or in personal life.

How does art give meaning to life? ›

Art gives meaning to our lives and helps us understand our world. It is an essential part of our culture because it allows us to have a deeper understanding of our emotions; it increases our self-awareness, and also allows us to be open to new ideas and experiences.

Does art help the environment? ›

Art and creativity can help raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire people to take action. Art can reflect cultural attitudes toward the environment and promote equity and inclusivity, particularly among young people.

Can art make the world a better place? ›

Art has the power to change the way we see the world, awakening us to new perspectives, ideas, and values. It can take us back in time to reflect on our past or push us further into our future. Art can bring awareness to social issues and foster a sense of acceptance — bringing people together regardless of background.

What is the role of art in space exploration? ›

Webb reflected that, “Important events can be interpreted by artists to give a unique insight into significant aspects of our history-making advances into space.

How good is art of problem solving? ›

Overall, the Art of Problem Solving provides a variety of resources to help struggling students succeed and to encourage and build enrichment for students to challenge themselves.

How does creativity help with problem solving? ›

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of solving problems or identifying opportunities when conventional thinking has failed. It encourages you to find fresh perspectives and come up with innovative solutions, so that you can formulate a plan to overcome obstacles and reach your goals.

How does drawing improve problem solving skills? ›

Art can help you to communicate complex or abstract concepts, to visualize different scenarios or outcomes, and to generate more diverse and original ideas. Art can also help you to overcome mental blocks, biases, and assumptions that might limit your problem-solving potential.

How does art help with critical thinking? ›

Education experts who've examined why there's a link between art experience and improved critical thinking cite a number of factors at play. In particular, art education teaches students to observe the world more closely. Good art is often complex, layered with multiple elements and meanings.

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