ART
GALLERIES, MUSEUMS, and experiences
★ ART GALLERIES ★
THE LASHER GALLERY AT WICA, LANGLEY
This month, we’re featuring works by local artists Nancy Frances, Heidi Hoelting, Gail Liston, Liesel Lund, Janet McGregor, and Ginny O'Neill.
Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
Johannesburg Browse more than 500 works from Africa's largest art gallery. The museum houses plenty of works form Dutch and other European artists, but it also offers an array of works from South African artists. For a more historical angle, browse their online exhibit about the role of photography and resistance in the era of Apartheid.
MUSÉE D’ORSAY, PARIS
You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, D.C.
This famous American art museum features two online exhibits. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.
The intimate nature of portraiture makes this museum a particularly great option for a home browse. Our suggestion: Now's the time to take a closer look at the Obama portraits everyone raves about.
UFFIZI GALLERY, FLORENCE
This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy’s most famous families, the de'Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de'Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world.
★ MUSEUMS ★
African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.
If you've ever wanted to visit an extremely popular museum but couldn't seem to nab tickets, a virtual tour is the next best thing! This one gives you just a taste of what the museum has to offer, and where in the museum each feature is located.
BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON
This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum’s virtual tour.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, NEW YORK
Begin your tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary eras.
MASP, SÃO PAULO
The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil’s first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY, MEXICO CITY
Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, SEOUL
One of Korea’s popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. This virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.
PERGAMON MUSEUM, BERLIN
As one of Germany’s largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer – even if you can’t physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.
RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM
Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt.
SEATTLE ART MUSEUM, SEATTLE
SAM”s long-running “Object of the Week” blog series features women artists throughout Women’s History Month.
THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES
European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this California art museum. Discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.
VAN GOGH MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM
Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.
★ ART EXPERIENCES ★
Kusama's Infinity mirrors
If you missed one of the hottest traveling museum exhibits of the past few years, ooh and ahh at a brisk room-by-room rundown of the hypnotic, multi-faceted work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
Banksy Murals around the world
Go on an artistic treasure hunt -- without the hunt part. With something like street art, it's much more interesting to see the work it its full context, than just through a close-up.
Van Gogh's Starry Night at moma
These close-up looks at famous paintings are so intense, you may think a docent will start yelling at you. Few paintings are suited to such a treatment than the bold, textured lines of The Starry Night.
Street Art tours
Explore the stories behind street art across the world with audio-guided tours and online exhibitions, offered by the Google Cultural Institute.
SHOP LOCAL (ONLINE)
SUGGESTED READING
13 Art Dealers Share the Books That Helped Them Navigate the Art World
RESOURCES
9 Artists’ Art Lessons You Can Watch Online for Free
Learn to Draw Anything with These Handy Online Resources and Books
20+ YouTube Channels to Learn How to Draw for Free
Learn How to Draw Human Hands With This “Handy” Step by Step Guide
Step-by-Step Doodle Tutorials Make Complex Subjects Easy to Draw
Perfect Your Portraiture by Learning How to Draw a Face
The Getty Publications Virtual Library offers more than 300 of its books to read and download for free.
Met Publications (Metropolitan Museum of Art) has 50+ years of publications available to read, download, or search for free.
LET US KNOW IF YOU FIND OTHER VIRTUAL GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS!
YOUR SUPPORT TODAY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
As a nonprofit arts organization, Whidbey Island Center for the Arts relies on support from our community. Please consider the role that art plays in your life and support your center with a gift of any amount today.