San Jose residents are finding new ways to showcase their artwork after Bay Area art exhibits closed because of shelter-in-place mandates. For the Ryland Mews apartment complex residents, it meant transforming one of the hallways into an impromptu art and science gallery.
The Ryland Museum is a wall covered with drawings, poems, short stories and occasional science projects created by residents and Bay Area community members. The complex is located on North Second Street between Downtown San Jose and Japantown. Because of shelter-in-place mandates, only residents and invited guests can view the wall.
Amy Brown, a resident of the complex and the curator of the museum, said she set up the wall in April as a way to encourage people, especially children, to create and share their artwork with one another.
“I’m hoping to reach kids out there who want and need this [space to create art],” she said over the phone. “I’m doing what I can with what I got, which is an empty wall outside of my apartment door.”
When she first created the museum, Brown said it was only meant to be viewed by the Ryland Mews apartment residents. After posting the gallery on her Instagram page and seeing the positive responses from her neighbors and followers, she decided to share the artwork on the museum’s Instagram page, which has more than 250 followers as of Oct. 19. Those interested in the gallery can also view the artwork through photos and videos on the museum’s website.
Brown said she gets inspiration for exhibit themes from children living in the complex or from her friends. When she finalizes an exhibit idea, she asks for submissions through the museum’s social media. The artwork themes change every few months. One month the wall could be filled with animal drawings and the next month with self-portraits.
Although the themes are child-friendly, people of all ages can submit artwork or a written piece to be featured on the wall and webpage. Brown also chooses three professional local artists to feature in the exhibit.
She said inspiration to start the museum came from a desire to reach out to her neighbor’s kids after social distancing and shelter-in-place orders were enacted in spring.
“The kids usually ran around [the complex] in little herds and you could hear them running down the hallway,” Brown said. “Then suddenly [the pandemic came] and everyone was sealed inside their apartments.”
She asked her neighbor, eight-year-old Erik Jastrebski, if he wanted to participate in an art and science project created by one of Brown’s favorite artists, Brian D. Collier.
The “Very Small Objects” project involves collecting random miniscule items and giving them a scientific name based on their color, texture, shape and point of origin. The names and classification system were created by Collier, according to his website.
Karin Ikavalko, Brown’s neighbor and Erik’s mother, said over the phone that working on the project was a “highlight” for Erik during these last few months of isolation.
“He just thought it was amazing, he would look for little things around the house [to include in the exhibit],” Ikavalko said. “It made him feel really special.”
Brown and Erik compiled all the objects and posted them on a wall in the apartment complex for all residents to view.
The “museum” of small objects attracted more neighborhood kids. Brown said they started to knock on her door to offer ideas for future exhibits.
Creating art for the Ryland Museum exhibits has given children something to do and allows them to express their feelings about the pandemic, said Melinda Malher, an expressive art therapist and friend of Brown.
“Play and imagination is how children process what’s going on in the world and reflect on any feelings they have,” Malher said over the phone. “Having an opportunity for children to create art can only be beneficial to them.”
Expressive art therapists use different forms of art, like dancing or music, to help their clients process and express their emotions, according to Psychology Today, a psychology magazine. Malher specializes in dance and movement therapy for individuals ages 5 to 20.
Brown invites Malher to the Ryland Museum every time a new exhibition is posted on the wall. Malher said she admires and appreciates how passionate Brown is about the museum and with keeping the art community engaged during this “intense” time.
“The more we can express [our feelings] now, through our art, the better off we’ll be when [the pandemic] is all done,” Malher said.
Ikavalko said she appreciates how the museum brings children and their families together.
“The opportunity for [my kids] to be involved and to see their artwork in-person and online, was really cool for them,” she said. “I’m able to share it with other friends and family members that aren’t able to come to our building.”
