When the pandemic struck, Westport’s many artists kept creating. Stuck in their studios, they produced some astonishing work.
The downside: Stuck in their studios, they had little opportunity to showcase it. Galleries shut down. Auctions ended. Art shows stopped.
Sure, they could post images on their websites. But art is 3-dimensional. Technology is only 2.
Fortunately, our artists think in many dimensions. Longtime Westporter and Staples High School graduate Trace Burroughs developed an interactive 3D gallery space, to show his work. It won an innovation award from the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
Since the Artists’ Collective of Westport — a lively, hard-working and fun group of 150+ — could not have live exhibits, Trace’s brother Miggs Burroughs suggested they hire him to create their own 3D gallery.
Working — virtually, of course — with a programmer in the Netherlands, they made it happen.
The Burroughses and Susan Fehlinger created a members’ Call for Entries. Nearly 90 responded.
Of course, digital files are not canvases or prints. There were new details to work out — font and image sizes, gallery lighting and shadows, decor and more, and to simplify things all images are square — but Collective members figured it all out.
Enter the 3D gallery …
The artists are thrilled. And the public — anyone, anywhere, around the world — who wants to appreciate (and buy!) Westporters’ art can now do so, 24/7/365.
No masks or social distancing required!
Click here to enter. For the best immersive experience, use a desktop computer. 3D graphics are robust, so it may take a few seconds to load.
… and then click to view individual works. This is by Jay Petrow.
Wow – What an incredible art experience! Thank you. – Reminded my teenagers of Minecraft – they though it was “cool” too!