Celebrating Masterpiece Moments with Bank of America
The rise of virtual experiences was a key change brought about by the pandemic, and museums were quick to hop on the bandwagon.
Many of the best museums in the country, including the Art Institute of Chicago, offered virtual experiences throughout the pandemic, attempting to bring a little of the wonder and beauty of their collections straight to the living rooms of quarantined art lovers.
One of the best examples of this trend is Bank of America’s Masterpiece Moments. The bank partnered with the smartest curators at the country’s most beloved museums to create videos that tell the story of a single work of art.
The videos are simple, but well produced, providing viewers with a version of the personalized, intimate experience that so many of us missed during the pandemic, when we couldn’t visit museums in person.
The current website for the project is full of videos produced throughout 2021, featuring curators telling the stories of an artist that they love and the fascinating history behind some of their most famous works.
From the website: “We could all use a little inspiration in our busy lives, and benefit from the context that art can bring to bear on our world, our times, and our history. Join us and museum directors from around the United States as we explore some of our greatest artistic treasures. We’ll take a closer look at a new masterpiece every two weeks, so be sure to tune in, learn more, be inspired and discuss with friends and family.”
Some recent highlights of the video series include:
“Creation Story” by Harry Fonseca: Kevin Gover, the undersecretary for museums and culture at the Smithsonian, discusses a painting that is “a celebration of the artist’s own multicultural heritage and the very act of creation. It still hangs in the same place since the museum’s opening.”
“La Vie” by Pablo Picasso: William Griswold, the director and president of the Cleveland Museum of Art, said that his museum is “lucky enough” to have one of the most important Picasso collections in the U.S. He explores the history behind “La Vie.”
“The Somnambulist” by Rufino Tamayo: Roxana Velasquez, the executive director of the San Diego Museum of Art, explores the complex history behind the work of Mexican artist Tamayo, who created this oil painting in 1954.
“The Eternal Presence (An Homage to Alejandro Garcia Caturla)” by Wifredo Lam: Sarah Ganz Blythe, interim director of the RISD Museum in Providence, Rhode Island, talks about “one of her favorite paintings,” a complex masterpiece that combines the artist’s mixed heritage from Cuba, China and the Congo.
With Bank of America’s Masterpiece Moments, the public gains virtual access to famous works of art. For art lovers looking for a new way to appreciate their favorite artists, Thomas Kane highly recommends checking out these short and fascinating video essays.