3 ways Nevadans can make art at home

While the coronavirus crisis is keeping Nevada art institutions shuttered, Nevada Museum of Art, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art and Believer Magazine are creating prompts, lessons and virtual engagement to help Nevadans cope with the pandemic through creative expression.

A drawing a day

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art is posting daily prompts on its social media pages to encourage followers to reflect on their current emotional state and connect through sharing their artworks.

Previous prompts have included “remake a news headline,” “draw a virus as if it were a person” and “draw your daily commute before you were quarantined.”

Since March 18, the museum has received more than 500 drawings, paintings and short videos.

“It’s really great to see them all. And I hear from people who say it’s helping them cope,” Executive Director Alisha Kerlin says.

Tomorrow’s prompt is to draw a pattern, in whatever way makes sense and with whatever materials artists have lying around.

Color wheel

The Nevada Museum of Art in Reno has adapted its family-oriented hands-on programming to activities that can be done at home.

For the month of April, the museum is encouraging families to build color wheels using books, keychains, markers and dishes or other items.

They can be arranged in a circle to create a satisfying spectrum and an easy lesson for kids.

Later this month, the museum will share a new art project, in which families will be encouraged to examine and create landscapes.

“By its very nature, art is inspiring and thoughtful,” Senior Vice President of Communications Amanda Horn says. “It’s making someone who is sitting at home get out of their head and think about things differently.’

‘Quaranzine’

Believer Magazine, which is published by the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV, will host a virtual workshop Friday in which comics artist Malaka Gharib will walk viewers through a short tutorial on making a quarantine zine of their own.

After having to cancel the Believer Festival, organizers at Believer Magazine brainstormed ways to keep the community engaged. Every Friday, they will feature an online workshop with a different artist.

“We have over 500 RSVPs for Friday,” art director Kristen Radtke says. “It shows how much people want to connect and make and share.”

Friday’s workshop, which will be at 4 p.m. on Zoom, will lead viewers in creating a four-page “Quaranzine” that reflects their own experience.

“It’s a new way to experience isolation together,” Radtke says.

Contact Janna Karel at jkarel@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3835. Follow @jannainprogress on Twitter.