Due to the ongoing pandemic, many art museums have begun providing virtual tours to students and families.
The Brazos Valley Arts Council have produced their art into an online format on their website, www.acbv.org, encouraging students and families to participate in these virtual tours that showcase multiple exhibits within the Brazos Valley area. These free virtual tours provide insight and new experiences to people who couldn’t otherwise have this experience due to distance and prices.
Landscape architecture senior Katelyn Robeson said it is a great idea for museums to offer virtual tours, and that these online tours can be a great tool for learning in the future.
“Teachers and professors can take advantage of free virtual tours of some of the most famous museums and include it into course work,” Robeson said.
Robeson said virtual museum tours have enhanced her experience as an architecture student.
“Access to online databases from museums allows me to access collections of text and images which enables me to continue to be inspired by art and encourages more creativity in my work,” Robeson said. “Online museums also help me in my art and architectural history classes, because I am able to see different works and read the exhibits description of different iconic pieces. Studying the art and design styles throughout history helps me to become a better designer.”
World-renowned art and history museums have also begun providing virtual tours for patrons unable to attend due to COVID-19. Robeson said a big advantage of these tours is that students are able to experience visiting art museums they would not have access to otherwise.
“The Guggenheim, Louvre or British Museum are not located in Texas, so I am able to feel like I am at the museum from the comfort of my own home,” Robeson said.
Communication senior Alisha Naik said art has allowed her to focus on other things instead of the many issues happening in the world today.
“I believe art is a way a lot of people disconnect from the world and allow their minds to escape to different places,” Naik said. “With all the uncertainty happening in the world and the anxiety that brings, people incorporating art into their life is as important as ever.”
Naik also said although there are benefits to having virtual tours, they still don’t fully provide the same experience one would get from being there in person.
“I do think the realness of the art goes missing because a screen can’t always replicate the texture, color, feeling of art the same way being in the physical environment with the piece can,” Naik said.
For telecommunication media studies junior Charlynn Hanes, virtual art museums have benefited her as an artist and given her more drive to continue creating.
“It’s great to have access to work that I normally wouldn’t get to see on a daily basis,” Hanes said. “Being able to take time to tour your favorite artist’s exhibit is really a creativity booster. Virtually touring some different exhibits absolutely has motivated me to create more work during this time.”