On March 10, 2020, Westchester County's New Rochelle became the first COVID-19 containment zone in the United States. 10 Days later, Gov. Andrew Cuomo closed all non-essential businesses in the state. In the pursuing days, weeks, and months, the world would be fraught with uncertainty. The streetscapes and landscapes and routines of our daily experiences would be instantly changed. The following works capture the sense of fear and isolation that characterized the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as we adjusted to our new normal.
Coronavirus Threatens Our World (21st Century) by Charles FazzinoArtsWestchester
Beneath (21st Century) by Leslie HardieArtsWestchester
"Like most people during the COVID pandemic, I find myself isolated from others, and from some activities I used to engage in. My painting has begun to reflect and process that isolation: the sense of being alone in the world in spite of intellectually knowing I’m not."
Journal Erasures I & II (21st Century) by Melissa McCarterArtsWestchester
"The Covid-19 Journal Erasures are from two pages of my late spring 2020 journal recapping the lockdown and my two and a half month struggle with the virus."
Empty Oculus (21st Century) by Lynda ShenkmanArtsWestchester
"The emotional power of the world's most important city made empty and lifeless by such an abstract, non-human force perhaps shows us the edge of what we as a species are capable of comprehending."
Midtown Melange (21st Century) by Ron CarranArtsWestchester
"The pandemic has made it difficult to take long photographic trips but has offered the rare opportunity to visit an un-crowded Manhattan."
Moynihan Train Center Escalator 1/15 (21st Century) by Arnold KastenbaumArtsWestchester
"The locations were empty, one of the very few Covid advantages, allowing me to shoot without human interference. This amplified a feeling of isolation which helpfully is conveyed in the images."
Monterey (21st Century) by Alan GarryArtsWestchester
"One of the activities I miss most is traveling to other cities and looking at the buildings. In lieu of this I began to frequent the Google Earth website. I noticed a great deal about the built environment from this view."
SADDER AND WISER, WE RISE LIKE THE PHOENIX (21st Century) by Judy Ann SimekArtsWestchester
"The disrupted side borders of my quilt represent chaos, greatest on the bottom but returning to order towards the top, as we overcome this disaster. Reorganized, it encloses the top of the quilt in new found order and rebirth."
American Beer: Land of Hopportunity (21st Century) by Katrina MajkutArtsWestchester
"By cross-stitching a beer can, I am both highlighting gender disparities in American, consumer, and drinking culture and demanding a place in it."
Air Mail (21st Century) by Erin ReardonArtsWestchester
"Inside are snatches from a 9-person text conversation that has been going on since January, 2020. As many people discover, myself included, these text conversations are a lifeline."
Another Game Night (21st Century) by Erin ReardonArtsWestchester
"Another Game Night, is a tribute to the hundreds of hours spent playing board games. The classic Scrabble stands in for all the ways we have kept our sanity, our sense of humor, and ties to friends and family."
Plague Box (21st Century) by Erin ReardonArtsWestchester
"At first, the Covid quarantine made me feel anxious and trapped, like I was in a box. Trapped at home, things were delivered to me, in boxes... It became an act of defiance to transform these cardboard boxes into something with meaning, value, and extended lifespan."
Embryo (21st Century) by Karen ViolaArtsWestchester
"Decorating Easter eggs is an activity I never grew out of, even after my kids did. This year I needed to level it up."
Celebration of Creativity (21st Century) by Sheila BenedisArtsWestchester
"The pandemic allows me time to reflect, time to examine my life and my place in the world, and time for positive social change. I communicate through art, share my work, connect with, and impact others."
