Thousand Oaks, Calif. – As museums nationwide have closed their doors to visitors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO) is presenting a new virtual exhibition that documents the historic outbreak’s effect on local art students. Launching June 15 on www.cmato.org, Life Interrupted is the result of an art competition initiated by CMATO to capture the perspective of Generation Z artists. Generation Z is defined by people born after 1997, and who will turn ages 8 to 23 in 2020. Madison Mok, "Something Missing"Artist The online exhibition features artwork by selected students in the Visual Arts Department of Oaks Christian, created during their time spent at home under COVID-19 quarantine. The exhibit includes diverse works in painting, illustration, digital art and mixed media, revealing the context and reality of life during a time of social distancing and uncertainty. Generation Z, which has experienced the trauma of mass shootings and dire warnings about climate change, will likely be defined by growing up in a post-pandemic world. Experts believe coronavirus could change the generation’s perceptions of safe social distances and what high school and college are about. “This is an unprecedented time in history, and we were keen to capture the perspective of Gen-Z artists. The COVID-19 crisis has impacted students inversely, from the way they learn and their living situations to their social lives,” said Tish Greenwood, CMATO Creative Director. “As efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 continue, students persist in creating art, and their works and talents deserve to be seen.” As part of the collaboration between CMATO and Oaks Christian, students were invited to create original works that reflect their thoughts about the global health crisis and its impact on their generation, education and artistic practice. Students responded to a variety of COVID-19 questions, including how they feel about distance learning, the positive things they have experienced while learning from home and how they believe the pandemic will change society. Life Interrupted presents students’ positive and negative feelings during a period when the comfort and security of regular routines have been disrupted: schools…
Exhibitions
