Museum challenges people in self-quarantine to recreate favorite works of art with objects at home

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, aka the Getty, is currently closed to the public as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. But the institution is doing its part to keep the art-loving community engaged during this difficult time, by challenging people to create their favorite works of art with objects at home.

Getty posted the challenge prompt to its Twitter account on Wednesday, urging people to get creative during their time self-quarantining at home. The museum’s social media lead, Sarah Waldorf, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the museum’s direct messages have been “flooded” ever since with hilarious re-creations.

“Our audience told us loud and clear that they wanted to see beautiful artworks, learn more about art from home, and find delight on social media,” Waldorf says of the museum’s decision to engage with its community in some way. “We wanted to offer up a creative challenge to find refuge from the uncertain state of the world and to spark excitement to get creative — no extra materials required.”

The idea behind the challenge, Waldorf explains, was then inspired by an Instagram account from Amsterdam, @tussenkunstenquarantaine (which means “between art and quarantine” in Dutch), where people were already re-creating works of art.

Getty then reinterpreted the challenge, encouraging its social media followers to use the museum’s online archive to find inspiration for their recreations. The museum has since reposted some of the community’s best examples.

Waldorf additionally notes that the challenge has spread beyond the Getty’s page. Annelisa Stephan, assistant director of digital content strategy and user experience design, says that this is a reflection of the museum’s intention to allow for meaningful and accessible ways to interact with art online.

“Our vision is to use digital to uplift, to inspire, and to create community through art,” Stephan says. “This is already taking many different forms, from creative activities to thought-provoking articles to informal videos, always with a friendly and inclusive approach. Listening is key—we tune in to our audiences daily so we can respond creatively to what they most need and value.”

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