Abstract:

The article analyzes the basic principles of studying art as a part of the Humanities Studies in the context of the COVID-19 time. Museums throughout the world suffered during the lockdown. The real-life activities stopped at once, leaving museums standing silent and alone without regular in-person visitors. Like many public institutions, museums were not prepared for such issues and had to react fast and efficiently. They heroically accepted the challenge and invented new formats, activities, and ways to communicate with their audience online. Art museums were specifically challenged because seeing the originals was the main activity people had while visiting the collections.
The paper analyses the measures art museums took to create new opportunities for the audience. Art museums did not want visitors to feel separated from art collections and museums’ space. Using advanced technologies and possibilities they provided, art museums developed online programs the audience could participate in. The author considers distant activities offered by art museums in the USA, Italy, France, and Russia in the pandemic period. Distant activities art museums provided could be classified into several categories, such as individual activities, group events, school doings, learning and entertaining happenings, etc. The paper demonstrates examples of such activities, and the ways art museums keep connected to their audience. Started as a necessity in the conditions of distant environment, nowadays these activities remain active and popular.

Keywords:

Aesthetic experience, art education, art museums, COVID19, distant learning, quarantine, museum education, pandemic of 2020, virtual culture, distant aesthetic.