It all started with a casual Instagram post from Jody Williams, assistant director of the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art in Solvang.
“As face masks become our new fashion accessory, we can’t help but think about our past show, The Art of Dress, and how those talented artists would’ve explored this new daily garment,” the caption read on the museum’s April 24 post.
One comment from Georganne Alex, one of the original artists featured in Elverhoj Museum’s The Art of Dress exhibit in 2019, read: “Actually, many of the artists are making masks. Shall we have them send you some photos?”
A chain of responses followed, and The Art of Face Masks, Elverhoj Museum’s timely virtual exhibition, was born. While the museum remains temporarily closed, the new group show is available to view for free online.
“Once I heard these artists were actively exploring the face mask, I jumped on it as a great way to keep connected and relevant during this time,” Williams told the Sun. “It all came together very smoothly and quickly. It was about three weeks total turnaround time between the initial Insta post and launching the exhibit.”
The show includes a variety of face masks and face mask-themed art from Alex as well as 13 other returning artists from The Art of Dress: Carole Coduti, Jess Conti, Colleen M. Kelly, Isabella Kelly-Ramirez, RT Livingston, Margaret Matson, Syd McCutcheon, Susan Owens, Tara Patrick, Linda Pearl, Gwen Samuels, Laura Wilkinson, and Sara Woodburn.
“I think that one of the reasons that it came together so easily is that many of the artists were already working on functional face masks that they had been donating to family, friends, etc.,” said Williams, who became the curator of the exhibit.
Williams also hosts behind-the-scenes programming to accompany the artwork, including a series of Q-and-A interviews with the show’s featured artists. Each episode is streamed live on Instagram, giving viewers the chance to comment with their own questions as well.
While the exhibition itself celebrates ways to use face masks as tools of self-expression and fashionability, the show doesn’t discredit their necessity, Williams explained.
“I don’t know anyone who enjoys wearing them; we do it because it’s the right thing to do,” Williams said. “Beyond being a safety device, it is also a symbol to show others we care about them and want to keep us all healthy.
“Now grabbing your face mask is like grabbing your sunglasses before walking out the door—although you can still go to the grocery store even if you forget your sunglasses,” she added, “but not if you forget your face mask.”
The face mask itself has also become a symbol for the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole, Williams explained, an emblem that future generations will forever link to this time period, placing this exhibition at “the intersection of art and history.”
“I for one am looking forward to being decades beyond this and being able to reflect back on a pivotal time in the world’s history,” Williams said. “I think historians will look back on how technology—internet, media, social media—made this pandemic different from those of the past and how it also set the stage for social unrest due to racial inequality happening across the country.”
Esther Jacobsen Bates, executive director of Elverhoj, also acknowledged the historical significance of our present climate, describing the face mask as not only a symbol for the coronavirus crisis, but more broadly, “a tangible reminder of the uncertainty and unknown.”
“Artists often find inspiration in times of adversity and, through their creative responses, provide an emotional and sensory record of the times and events,” Bates told the Sun.
While The Art of Face Masks exhibition remains virtual for now, Bates said she often discusses the possibilities of when Elverhoj should reopen—usually on a weekly basis, during meetings with fellow Santa Barbara County museum directors.
“Reopening plans are very much part of the conversation. Museums provide safe spaces for reflection and restoration during the current upheaval of daily life,” Bates said. “Elverhoj, like most area museums, will likely begin by opening to members only and for limited hours.”
Send unfiltered comments to Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 11-18, 2020.