ART EDUCATION IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS THE GOOD AND THE EVIL: A REFLECTING ON TODAY, ANTICIPATING TOMORROW

ART EDUCATION IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS THE GOOD AND THE EVIL: A REFLECTING ON TODAY, ANTICIPATING TOMORROW

BY

OLADIMEJI OLUWAGBEMIGA ISAAC

TAI SOLARIN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, OMU-IJEBU, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA International Virtual Conference 12. – 15. 10. 2020

ABSTRACT

The fear of coronavirus, the beginning of wisdom. However, the reality of its havoc recked on humanity brought an impromptu change to the world order. The weakness of humanity was exposed and virtually, all things were negatively affected by the virus with a purview of humanity at a receiving end. Hence, what was considered abnormal before the pandemic, now being considered to be normal. In view of this happening, art education has not been speared but played an incredible role in creating awesome awareness for the protection of humanity, artists notwithstanding manage to survive. This paper, understudied coronavirus in terms of its evil and good, itemized various world order up-turned by pandemic and as well overviewed diverse efforts made by humanity in suppressing it effects, in order to forestalls the extinction of mankind and thinking outside of the box for the sustainability the existence, that had been taken care of by art education. Art education an agent of change and its power of creativity is too big to be caged or lockdown or confided, as the pandemic did to economy, socializing, and joint worship in the church and mosque. Art education has been using its tools on how to deal with the virus, educate people and exposing the virus through cartoon and animation, painting, sculpture and graphic illustration on poster. In conclusion, coronavirus break virgin ground for new and great opportunities through art education despites its consequences on humanity in terms of isolation, anguish and mass exterminations. In summary, measures against the spread of coronavirus have really changed our lives almost overnight. Notwithstanding, there is still good in evil as the art education is the search light.

KEY WORDS: Art Education, Time, Coronavirus, Reflecting, and Anticipating

INTRODUCTION

The fear of coronavirus, the beginning of wisdom. However, the reality of its havoc on humanity brought an impromptu change to the world order. The weakness of humanity was exposed and virtually, all things were negatively affected by the virus with a purview of humanity at a receiving end. Hence, what was considered abnormal before the pandemic, now being considered to be normal. In view of this happening, art education has not been speared but played an incredible role in creating solution and awesome awareness for the protection of humanity, artists an instrument of change notwithstanding manage to survive.

Genesis: the concept and the source:

An overview of coronavirus description revealed crown like virus that is invisible but capable of killing human if not handle very well on time, especially people with underline ailments. This virus was believed to have originated from Wuhan in China but due to migration spread across the globe. There are lot controversies of conspiracy trailing the virus with an insinuation of a deliberate attempt to reduce the global population. But since it cannot be substantiated it is then considered rumour. There are several reactions from different works of life to combat this common enemy of man.

Artists and artistes were not equal left behind in the struggle for fighting the virus to a stand still, as they earnestly contributed their quotas to suppress the virus if not total elimination.

Alo o! Alo o!! alo o!!!

Alo o repete

Alo o! Alo o!! alo o!!!

Alo rakafo

Kilonse oba to nse ijoye lowo lowo….Koro-koro-na ni

Kilosalagbara dole…………………...Koro-koro-na ni

Kilo mu politicians joko sile…………Koro-koro-na ni

Kilofa social distancing………...…….Koro-koro-na ni

Kilo mu sanitizer dowon gogo……….Koro-koro-na ni

Kilo ti schools pa…………………….Koro-koro-na ni

Kilo ti soosi pa ………….. ………….Koro-koro-na ni

Mosalasi dota jimoh…………………Koro-koro-na ni

Karin kapo pipa lo npani…………….Koro-koro-na ni

Eni ori yo odile………………………Koro-koro-na ni

Lyrics interpretation in English language

Tale! Tale! ooo!

What affect Kings and Chiefs? ……………………..…coronavirus

What rendered the mighty and the powerful feeble,? …coronavirus

What make the politicians seat at home? ……………...coronavirus

What lead to social distancing? ……………………….coronavirus

What make sanitizer expensive?....................................coronavirus

What closed down the schools?............. ………………coronavirus

What locked the churches’ door?.............. ....................coronavirus

Mosques is now the enemy of Jamaal…… . …….........coronavirus

What make walking together kill?..................................coronavirus

If you escape stay at home…………………………….coronavirus

Little time remains, coronavirus will become history

No handshaking

Wash your hands regularly

Avoid crowdy place

Little time remains, coronavirus will become history

This is summary of what has been happening for the past four months globally, when there was lockdown and everything has turned abnormal and the whole world under fang of death. And peoples are walking under the shadow of the death. Some are unfortunate while some who are victims of coronavirus narrowly escape from the claws of death.

Global Situation can be divided a long number of confirmed cases and number of confirmed death cases as follow:

37,109,851 confirmed cases

1,070,355 deaths

Breakdown of COVID 19 cases with reference to 6 continents of the world:

Americas 17,794,771confirmed

South-East Asia 7,911,036confirmed

Europe 6,918,265confirmed

Eastern Mediterranean 2,605,478confirmed

Africa 1,227,719confirmed

Western Pacific 651,841confirmed

Source: World Health Organization

https://covid19.who.int/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2or8BRCNARIsAC_ppyaDMRO0CQFudlJ0wGQg2DU74KgM16eiZ_Te5gkYdHqpBr8fglfDdYUaAnqDEALw_wcB.

Nigeria my country also has her fair share from the effect of the pandemic in areas of life-lost, schools’ closure, economic lockdown as experienced globally. The data of effected people according to National Centre for Disease Controls (NCDC).

Confirmed Cases…………..60,103

Active Cases………………..7,277

Discharged Cases…………...51,711

Death………………………..1,115

See PLATE No : 1 Mourning over the departed souls.

There is no doubt the impact of COVID-19 as suddenly change the global order, on human being irrespective of age and status, on education; from elementary education to universities and other higher education institutions, art education inclusive has not equally been spared from being affected.

See PLATE No : 2 and 3 covid changes world order.

The COVID-19 pandemic had injected deadly poison of confusion like prey caught unaware by its predator and many thrown into mourning, and struggling with death face to face. The global health crisis and the uncertainty resulting from it profoundly affected art and humanity operations as well as individual artists are significant.

See PLATE No :4 struggle for survivors

The substantial impact of COVID 19 on the arts and cultural heritage sector cannot cast aside. In this case my presentation overviewed the reaction of art and artist to the pandemic in terms of blessing attached to evil pandemic which is a gain to the art educators while reacting to the unexpected change in their art field, schools, business model with an unknown end.

Ori bibe ko loogun ori fifo…meaning …Removing the head off the body isn’t the solution to a headache….Yoruba-African proverb.

See PLATE No :5. Cartoon speaks volumes

No matter how big a problem is, it must have a solution. This cartoon speaks volume of problems and challenges bedeviling the world that requires solution. One of it is coronavirus pandemic which has sent many to their early graves. But not withstanding man will always find a way of escapes. Blessings of COVID 19 pandemic to art education

See PLATE No :6 Artists fraternization is covid 19 period.

You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something build a new model that made the existing model obsolete….R. Bulkminister Fuller

Action beget reactions, here is the reactions to some artists in response to COVID 19 pandemic by artists and artistes;

Art solution provider during COVID 19 Order of Quarantine and lockdown,

Reactions of artists during COVID 19

COVID 19 instrument of humility that Humble all

CONCLUSION

In responding to COVID 19 altering the world order, suspension of human movement, public places closedown and human activities that involves multitudes gathering put on hold, entertainment content production postponed, all these informed a shift pattern where man device survival means, which informed an increase in the use of virtual online teaching, virtual conferencing, online exhibition, video streaming services due to a massive demand to move on with live and due to the massive increase of people staying at home. As a result, many videos on demand services, film archives, and cinema clubs provided many films for online streaming. However, the increase in the use of video streaming for entertainment as well as using videoconferencing services such as facebook meeting room, google meeting, Microsoft teams, Zoom for work and education caused unprecedented strain on global internet infrastructure above all life continues. See PLATE No :7. Art solution provider. See PLATE No : 8. Confusion inflicted by covid 19. Reaction of the artist to covid 19. See PLATE No: 9 Busy working in the studio. See PLATE No: 10 Artistic Eccentric Electrifying against covid 19. See PLATE No : 11 covid 19 apprehension no respect for the powerful but humble us all.

In conclusion, COVID 19 Humble all irrespective of status, educated—uneducated, rich—poor, strong—feeble, etc. But artistic creativity despite COVID 19, flourished even in the face of lockdown and quarantine. This is pointer to the fact that art cannot be deterred by any force in as much creativity is alive.

References

Source: World Health Organization

https://covid19.who.int/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2or8BRCNARIsAC_ppyaDMRO0CQFudlJ0wGQg2DU74KgM16eiZ_Te5gkYdHqpBr8fglfDdYUaAnqDEALw_wcB.

NCDC (2020), Nigeria Centre for Decease Control, Nigeria, https//ncdc.goy.ng

Art Educators Hangout, 2020, www.seachingvisualartblogspot.com

IFLA (2020), "COVID-19 and the Global Library Field". IFLA. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.

International Council on Archives (2020), "Archives are Accessible". www.ica.org. International Council on Archives. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.

The Artnewspaper (2020), "Here are the museums that have closed (so far) due to coronavirus". www.theartnewspaper.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020