As some places are starting to open up, the list of places you can visit in-person is slowly growing. However, if you are erring on the safe side, or just are interested in “visiting” places that are far away or currently closed, there are lots of options to choose from!
We’ve posted before about the abundance of virtual offerings of the animal and nature variety, and for this week’s Moment of Bliss we want to share a different area of amazing virtual content! For those who love going to art exhibits and exploring creativity, we’ve put together a short list of virtual excursions you can enjoy while staying home in your pajamas… though if you want to get dressed up for the occasion, we support that, too!
Visiting a virtual museum or gallery can be a great change of scenery, whether you’re an adult, or a kid. It reminds us to slow down and really look at the art, to let it have an effect on us and make us feel something.
Different people appreciate different types of art, so we’ve tried to cover a wide variety of genres and tastes. If we missed one that you think you should be included, please feel free to leave us a comment so that we can check it out!
The Guggenheim is one of the many museum spaces that have been made available virtually thanks to Google Arts & Culture. This Street View of the interior of the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York City is available to explore. You can take your time working your way down the 6 spiraling levels, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, checking out the art along the way. Unfortunately you can’t always read the artist info next to the different pieces, but with some internet sleuthing using WikiArt.org you might be able to track it down as a fun side quest.
Other venues that are available through Google include the Uffizi in Florence, Italy, and The Getty here at home in Los Angeles. Also included is one of my favorite European museums, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. To “visit” these places, click the link and then scroll down the page to “museum view”.
Google Arts & Culture also has a lot of videos and interactive activities related to art and museums that has something for everyone! You can watch a cartoon penguin walk around virtual Versailles, color in Van Gogh’s roses, do a deep dive on everything Frida or zoom way in on your favorite work of art!
Home MuralFest took place in 2020, and it was a collaboration between 67 artists creating in their homes, organized by Void Projects. It’s still available to view by clicking here, where you can watch videos of the artists in the act of creating their contributions to the show. Watching the process is fascinating, as is getting a peek into their homes.
The Neon Museum in Las Vegas is one of our personal favorite “alternative” museums that we’ve actually visited, and they are offering a 360 degree view of their 2020 Artist In Residence exhibit. The museum itself is actually open these days, since it’s an outdoor space. If you think vintage neon signs are fascinating or even just interesting, and you’re near Vegas, we definitely recommend visiting in person!
Interactive/ Immersive Experiences
Occupy White Walls is an 18+ online computer game that allows you to create your own virtual art gallery and visit those created by others. It’s technically an AI-driven art platform that introduces people to art in a whole new way. There is a huge spectrum of art to choose from to hang on the walls you build, and there’s even an option to pay a small amount to upload your own art. We found the whole thing to be really engaging and at the same time soothing, just like a great museum experience! You can visit our spaces, Bliss Gallery and Brick Box/ White Box to see our curation, which changes over time.
One of the first real-world institutions to partner with Occupy White Walls was the UK’s Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG), and they have reaped the benefits of exposing their collection to a wider audience, including gaining access to data about how players interact with their art.
If you have a Quest or other VR system, your visit to a virtual art space can be even more immersive! Check out:
- Museum of Other Realities, with dimension bending creations that test the limits of what’s possible in art.
- Tiltbrush, creating 3D art with a fantastical array of tools.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Hopefully something on this list piques your interest and gives you an opportunity to enjoy some art without leaving home!
Hat tips:
Home Mural Fest- This Is Colossal
Travel & Leisure
