For the last several weeks we have been bombarded by a 24 hour news cycle focused on the coronavirus, the spread and the death count. Before early March 2020, our homes were taken for granted as our safe place, our refuge, our gathering place. Since the implementation of stay at home orders by Governors across the country, our homes now serve new purposes such as full-time classroom, workplace, computer lab, place of worship, yoga studio, restaurant, shopping center, hair salon, waterhole and the like. Given how our homes are now required to function, layered with the over consumption of technology including bingeing on movies and television series on multiple streaming services, you may find yourself looking for a refuge.
Art can transform the chaos and disorder of your new multi-purpose space into a sanctuary. Art can breathe life into a home and remind us what is possible. As you consider your next DIY project think about art as a way to repurpose your space. In the November 11, 2019—GMAS blog post, The Emotional and Mental health Benefits of Art, GMAS referenced the documented research supporting the mental health benefits of art. See: www.gravesmallett.art/blog/ for the blog.
Here are a few suggestions from GMAS to utilize your current art collection to shore up your sanctuary:
- Look at your art collection and identify new spaces in your home. Yes, it is OK to swap-out art from one room to another. Also consider hanging mirrors, creating a grouping or go for one large installation in a room.
- Design a room around a one work of art. Find your focal point: Walk into the room and identify where your eyes land first; this may be the perfect place to install a statement artwork, and you can base the rest of the room’s design on it.
- Rediscover & redefine your sanctuary. Art can relax, excite, evoke or transport the viewer. It can help us validate and recognize our emotion. If you have a yoga or mediation room, your art selection can be a reflection of the mood you seek to achieve.
Change a mood, build your sanctuary, and love staying at home!
