#JesuitMuseums: Loyola Marymount

AJCU’s #JesuitMuseums series is back for the summer! Today’s post comes from the Laband Art Gallery at Loyola Marymount University.

Image credit: Jessica Wimbley, video still from Masking, 2020, courtesy of the artist and the Laband Art Gallery.

The visual and performing arts communities were deeply affected by remote conditions caused by the pandemic. Seeking to find creative ways to host exhibitions, the Laband Art Gallery at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles sought out new opportunities to challenge old formats. Karen Rapp, director of the Laband, explains, “The art museum field as a whole is fairly conservative, meaning that primacy has always been given to the ‘in-person’ experience of art. Before the pandemic, I never could have conceived of curating artwork in a digital space. But three or four months into it, I started to accept the experiential value of virtual exhibitions.”

Rapp imagined hosting a virtual exhibition after speaking with colleagues from another institution, who had to close their in-person show abruptly because of the pandemic. Thus, the solo exhibition, Jessica Wimbley: Belle Jet and Cabinet Cards, went from being viewed on the walls of an actual gallery to becoming a robust online presentation. The artist herself added special video features in which she narrated her own art production process. Rapp said, “The idea was to give the online viewer the chance to have an intimate experience with the artwork on the screen. Jessica’s collages are all about creating layers of meaning and it became obvious we needed her voice to add another layer of engagement.”

The entire virtual exhibition can be viewed here. Rapp said, “I’m quite proud of the aesthetic impact of the virtual show. It’s only a URL, of course, but I approached its organization the same way I would an in-person exhibition. I imagined the colors of the walls and the flow of the layout. It’s a bonus that viewers can take it in at their own pace and come back anytime.”