The Helen S. Smith Gallery website at Green River College has partnered with a Vancouver, Washington, gallery to show works of art the latter had gathered during the spring and summer of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Northwest.

Now it wants to continue the Cave Gallery’s conversation by extending and building on its exhibition to support artists, to build community, to dive into a bigger academic conversation about the role of art and to support its mission during trying times.

That is why the Helen S. Smith Gallery has invited local artists to join in the confab by submitting works to augment its spring exhibition, “Art of the Quarantine,” and to present those works on the gallery website between Feb. 15 and May 1.

“Art of the Quarantine” will continue as a rolling exhibition into the spring, accompanied by artist talks and discussions. All work submitted by artists working in the Northwest will be featured virtually on the Helen S. Smith Gallery website until April, 2021. One artist will be selected for a solo exhibition in the gallery itself in 2023.

The Cave Gallery had invited selected artists to make and present art in response to the first weeks of the COVID-19 quarantine. The art was then hung in windows of its space, viewable only from the street.

The Vancouver gallery closed its doors to the public last spring and summer. But as the pandemic continued, the gallery reopened to in-person visitors, although the Artwalk in Vancouver was effectively cancelled, as were any receptions or artist talks that normally happen in a professional gallery setting. At that point, the Cave extended its call for art to the greater community and curated an exhibition of works, bringing together shared experiences highlighting creativity and cultural resiliency.

For more details on the local call for art and to view the exhibition virtually, visit the Helen S. Smith Gallery website at www.greenriver.edu/community/art-gallery. To submit work, please follow the submission guidelines as posted there.