The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our perception of how art is supposed to be consumed. With many cities imposing lockdown and stay at home orders, even established institutions such as Paris’ Louvre Museum and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Arts have turned to digital space as a way to connect their audience with their expansive collection.
The problem, however, is that this kind of effort oftentimes only benefits established artists and galleries, leaving practically everyone else behind.
The Coronavirus has arguably put art in a place of importance on a scale that has never been seen before. As society at large retreats to the confinement of one’s own home in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, art in all of its forms provides a respite from the bleakness of the reality of life. It is therefore unfortunate that amongst those hardest hit by the economic fallout brought about by this pandemic are up and coming and independent artists.
When Viviana Puello founded ArtTour International in 2011 with her husband, she had one goal in mind; providing an international platform for artists from all stages of their artistic development and helping them deliver the message that they want to convey with their art. The company has since grown to become one of the art world’s leading voices with a presence in 205 countries. In the context of the current socio-cultural climate, however, ArtTour International’s founding objectives have never been more relevant.
Viviana Puello, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of ArtTour International Magazine, originally comes from Colombia and grew up in New York. During the years, Puello has become an internationally acclaimed curator and art writer. She spent a decade around Italy, cultivating her expertise in the art scene. Together with her husband, Alan Grimandi, an award-winning Italian filmmaker, they have documented art events and artists by traveling over 55 cities around the globe.
ArtTour International boasts itself as the only art magazine created and led by an artist, given that Puello, who has 25 years of experience as an art writer and curator, started as a painter-sculptor before founding the magazine. Puello understands the importance of art as a vehicle to inspire people to a renewed collective consciousness. It is with this in mind that she started ArtTour International as a platform for artists to spread their message under the umbrella of two grand themes: peace activism and environmental conservation, two causes that Puello is passionate about. The magazine currently has over 2 million readers, publishing four quarterly issues and two annual publications.
ArtTour International Magazine’s latest issue was published on April 30, 2020, titled Sacred Water. The issue drew as an inspiration, the many videos circulating on social media, of wildlife reclaiming the natural world, in the absence of human activity due to COVID-19 lockdown. This edition of the magazine highlighted the importance of fighting for an environmentally restored planet, through the works of artists such as Kyra Belán, whose painting is featured on the cover.
With the challenges that COVID-19-related lockdowns pose to the ways that artists put out their works, ArtTour International’s alternative media provide a welcomed alternative. The magazine’s catalog of issues is now available digitally, making it accessible to an even wider audience. The company also actively features artists’ works on their social media that have steadily gained a strong following over the years.
The company’s signature digital media, however, is the award-winning ArtTour International weekly TV show. Aired on MNNHD Ch. 1993 in Manhattan every Thursday and live-streamed on the network website, the show boasts over ten million viewership every week. To date, the TV show has featured works from artists as well as events and galleries from over 55 cities around the globe, and won two OOLEE Public Media Awards of Excellence.
From its humble beginning as an art publication, ArtTour International has always had, as its core mission, to help artists find their place in the art world. In addition to their media, the company now also extends consultations for artists ranging from advertising and marketing their works to social media management and website design.
ArtTour International believes that arts with positive messages are capable of bringing about a meaningful impact on the world, and the company’s goal is to deliver that message effectively. To view top artists’ artworks from different parts of the world visit ArtTour International Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube accounts.Visit ArtTour International’s website for more information.
