This is the Quarantine Coloring Book We've Been Waiting For
From Frieze New York to Art Basel Hong Kong, the art world’s response to the virus outbreak by opening online viewing rooms, is only the beginning as the art world goes virtual. In an era of social distancing, creatives around the world are adapting to the “new normal” by swapping physical events for virtual ones. But as Covid-19 comes at a great price for both the artists and their audiences, creatives around the world are finding uplifting ways to keep people connected during a health crisis that is keeping us apart. The Fine Art Quarantine Coloring Book is a collection of coloring pages by emerging and established artists, as selected by curator Brooke Wise available for you to download. The book is 100% free, with the option to donate an amount of your choice to a charitable organization, Meals on Wheels.
The LA-based independent curator, whose projects range from yearly film festivals to group shows, hails from a family of talented creatives. Her sister, Chloe Wise is one of the most successful visual artists of our generation. The pair of beautiful, elegant and talented sisters, is what has earned them the title of “ the Gigi and Bella Hadid of the Art World”.
The coloring book includes drawings by more than twenty emerging and established artists such as Haley Mellin, Brittney Scott and Chloe Wise. "We're all alone right now, while at the same time being together. My drawing is of friends, gathered together, which is now an obvious health risk. Everyone appears happy and content however they are actually all teary-eyed, with tears of hand sanitizer” says Chloe Wise about her contribution to The Fine Art Quarantine Coloring Book.
In this project, Brooke Wise invites artists and their audiences to collaborate together in a way that is simultaneously creative, playful and therapeutic.“I was doing a lot of anxiety-reducing activities like playing board games, card games, cooking, etc. I knew I wanted to put something out that wasn't another online group show, and I had a hard time thinking of what that could look like.” says Brooke “ The second the idea of a coloring book came to me, I immediately started to research if any were being made right now and with contemporary artists, and there were none to be found. So I reached out to my friend and designer Jesse Brown and he agreed to help with the design. From there, I reached out to around 30 artists and began moving forward”.
For Brooke, the ideal setting for coloring is on the floor, in front of the TV, with her cat. “I always doodled in school and even though teachers would ask me to stop while they were speaking, I knew it actually helped me listen and digest the information better. I think this has a similar effect with watching TV, listening to a podcast or anything audio related. Simply put, I like my coloring time to be paired with other activities simultaneously.”
During times when watching the news is as incredibly stress-inducing while necessary to stay informed, The Fine Art Quarantine Coloring Book might just be the perfect pairing. Download The Fine Art Quarantine Coloring Book here
