In an age where our society was already becoming increasingly insular, the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic serves to only isolate us even more. Inspired by the spirit of the penpal and mail art movement, this exhibition will create a permanent physical and digital document of our existence in these times with more than 180 artists and 300 artworks.

Organizers:  Humam Alsalim, Co-Founder/Curator SYRIA.ART Association and Cyrrus Online Gallery; Paul Crawford, Curator Penticton Art Gallery; Khaled Youssef, Co-Founder SYRIA.ART Association

Current physical exhibition: Penticton Art Gallery, 199 Marina Way, Penticton, British Columbia V2A 1H5, Canada
Dates: September 18, 2020 to November 7, 2020
Venue: Project Room Gallery

Websites: You Are Not Alone; Penticton Art Gallery

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting imposition of self-isolation, the Penticton Art Gallery, in partnership with the Syria.art Association (Nice/Berlin), invited artists from across the globe to participate in an unprecedented art exhibition entitled, You Are Not Alone. Like a message in a bottle, we sent out a call to artists working in all media, to submit works which would serve as a testament to our resiliency, creativity, and collective humanity in face of these extraordinary times. Visit the website here.

We hoped this exhibition would not only celebrate the power of art, but will serve as a celebration of our diversity, culture, and be an important reminder, that regardless of where we live on this planet, we are not alone. For the artists whose work is represented, this was their opportunity to reach out to a global audience and share their voice and story while celebrating the beauty and creativity they have brought into this world through their art. Now more than ever we need to come together to celebrate our collective humanity. No one is immune to this pandemic and we hope this will help us get through this time by allowing us to share our stories, celebrate our diversity, mourn our losses, and heal as a planet.

These works will be kept as an archive by the Penticton Art Gallery, to serve as a time capsule, a permanent document of this moment in our history. The collection will be made available for loan to other galleries and museums across the globe. If you would be interested in hosting this exhibition, please contact the Penticton Art Gallery to make arrangements for hosting this exhibition.

Future exhibition dates are in the works for 2021 in Berlin and France with additional opportunities also being pursued. Thanks to Humam Alsalim, a permanent online exhibition will also remain as a lasting legacy of this project and the resulting exhibitions. Thank you to all the artists who submitted works and lent their voices to this project and we wish you all good health and hope that your families and communities remain safe during this global crisis.