This Family Invented a Thriving Art Business During the Pandemic

Robert G. Mull 1 month ago

COLUMBIA, SC—There’s a family making lemonade from lemons. Their lemons come in the form of idle time and their lemonade is beautiful paintings. Many of the paintings have been donated to front line professionals such as nurses, doctors, and community health workers. The rest are being sold on Etsy or, as one of the kids said, “I fall in love with many of my artworks, but realize they can bring others happiness too!”

Back in March, Mathew Morgan and Julie Smithwick, parents to Cullen, Bella, Norah, and Elias, ages 11 to 16, were forecasting what weeks of sheltering at home would look like for their family and wanted to develop a positive and safe activity balancing the fear and uncertainty permeating on newsfeeds. What came next was the evolution of a collaborative venture and the birth of a business.

TribePours is the official name of this happenstance art business surfacing

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Etsy’s New Augmented Reality App Feature Makes Buying Wall Art So Much Easier

Robert G. Mull 1 month ago
Photo credit: RYAN LIEBE
Photo credit: RYAN LIEBE

From House Beautiful

Planning out a gorgeous gallery wall just got so much easier, thanks to the Etsy app. The platform was already a great resource for finding unique pieces and discovering new artists and makers, but with Etsy’s new augmented reality feature, you can now see what different wall art will look like in your home before you ever make a purchase.

Shoppers have been on the search for art on the platform even more than usual lately, so this update only makes sense given the trend. According to Etsy, the brand has seen a 94 percent increase in searches for wall decor or art in the last three full months compared to last year, along with a 63 percent increase in searches for paintings, and a 54 percent increase in searches for prints or illustrations.

The new AR feature, which is now available

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Tunisia rediscovers traditional art of calligraphy

Robert G. Mull 1 month ago

Tunisia’s president has become a surprise champion of Arabic calligraphy in his country, shining a light on the artistic tradition as Arab states lobby for its recognition by UNESCO.

President Kais Saied sparked both admiration and mockery on social media when images emerged of hand-written presidential letters on official paper not long after he took office in October last year.

An academic with a keen interest in the art form, Saied had studied with well-known Tunisian calligrapher Omar Jomni.

To prove that Saied had penned the documents himself, the presidency released a video showing him writing in a guest book.

The president “writes official correspondence in maghrebi script and private letters in diwani”, Jomni said, referring to two forms of Arabic calligraphy.

Maghrebi script is a form of the older, angular style of Kufic calligraphy, while diwani is a more ornamental Ottoman style popular for poetry.

The president’s “recognition” of

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Bedford Schools Make Annual Art Gallery Virtual

Robert G. Mull 1 month ago

BEDFORD, MA — Coronavirus restrictions may have kept Bedford students out of the classroom for the better part of the year, but it didn’t stop them from creating. Bedford Public Schools students continued to make impressive artwork and the district is determined to showcase their work, despite physical barriers.

In the spirit of creativity and innovation, the district made this year’s annual art gallery a virtual tour. Artwork from students from Davis Elementary all the way up to Bedford High School is all on one website.

This is the Bedford Public Schools K-12 Art Show’s 25th anniversary.

“Creating art may never be more important than it is right now,” wrote Sean Hagan the district visial arts director, “Art allows an outlet for creativity and imagination, stress and anxiety relief and provides a means to connect with others.”

The gallery is set up so that the viewer can click through different

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