Can you imagine getting a new job as the marketing manager of an art gallery, just before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic? Like so many other people – all of us in fact – Emily Reynolds found herself wondering what to do when it became clear that everyone was going to be staying at home. In her new position as Marketing Manager for the UB Art Galleries, she was now responsible for promoting the next show. But how would that work if there was no show? Well, as they say in show business, “The show must go on!”
“On March 12 I joined the team and the next day we made the decision to cancel our opening the spring exhibitions at the Center for the Arts,” said Reynolds. “A few days later we closed the galleries as well and like every other arts organization, we don’t know when we’ll be able to open again. Our team quickly got together to see what we could do to bring the exhibitions to people at home, and we were able to safely bring in Jim Dailey from Site View AR to make a 3D scan and AR tour of our exhibition Sally Cook: 1960–Present.”
You can view this fascinating tour by clicking here.
“While there is nothing like seeing a painting in person, the AR tour gives you a sense for how the exhibition is organized and allows you to see the wall labels that provide context to Sally Cook’s long and dynamic career,” explained Reynolds. “The exhibition was initiated by UB Art Galleries Director Bob Scalise and it’s the first exhibition that Liz Park, our new Curator of Exhibitions has organized at the art galleries. In addition to the tour, we’ve also uploaded a PDF of the entire catalog as well, since typically visitors can only pick that up on campus.”
While we’re all in lockdown for the most part, we’re all looking for activities to keep us busy. Taking a tour of an art gallery today will not only be uplifting, it will help to heal the soul. I took the tour moments ago, and was blown away at the quality of the production. I can only imagine how impressive it must be in real life!
SALLY COOK: 1960–PRESENT
MARCH 12 – MAY 16, 2020
UB ART GALLERY, UB CFA
OPENING RECEPTION: MARCH 12, 5–7:30PM
A painter of dynamic scenery, intimate portraits, and sumptuous still life, Buffalo-born Sally Cook has been a vital part of the arts community in Western New York since her early years as a student at the Albright Art School in the 1950s. This survey brings together major paintings from her earliest abstract canvas dating 1960 to the most recent figurative works. The exhibition also highlights her work as a poet and her painterly engagement with the poet Emily Dickinson who provides an ongoing inspiration for Cook.
Sally Cook: 1960-Present is curated by Liz Park, Curator, UB Art Galleries, and related programming is organized in partnership with UB Arts Collaboratory. Support is provided by John Fatta/1120 Projects, Daniel and Shelley Fogel, and UB Arts Collaboratory.