One of the many results of physical distancing and self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic has been how we are suddenly realizing and remembering the beauty of the little things we are now missing — the freedom of human interaction: the pleasure we receive from stopping to chat with a neighbour, having a casual catch-up coffee with a friend or hosting a dinner party.

The COVID-19 crisis has become a unique opportunity for reflection and appreciation, and many enterprises are stepping up to assist in providing us with some of life’s pleasures during this extraordinary time. One of these is the Art Angels Gallery in Los Angeles, which is adapting to deliver much-welcomed creativity to our new virtual world.

Founded in 2013 by Kat Emery and Jacquelin Napal, Art Angels’s contemporary and provocative style featuring established and emerging artists has attracted collectors from around the world. During this time, the gallery’s website, www.artangels.net, provides a “View in Room” functionality for every artwork and will include updates on future exhibitions and the latest online viewing rooms.

“After the mandatory closure of the gallery, all of our fine art specialists started working immediately from home,” says Emery. “We are utilizing all our online platforms to assist collectors with their art choices. It has never been easier to purchase art from the comfort of your own home.”

At its location in West Hollywood, Art Angels Gallery was also looking for an innovative way to bring its art from the inside to the outside, to bring art to the immediate community. So Emery and Napal turned to one of their favourite artists — the anonymous and mysterious PUNKMETENDER.

Art Angels commissioned PUNKMETENDER to paint and install a mural on the exterior of the gallery — a mural of butterflies, carefully chosen to reflect the resilience of the community and to support the local artists during this time.

“We chose PUNKMETENDER because butterflies are a powerful symbol of hope and transformation in a period of challenging times,” says Emery. “He is the hero we needed and he certainly delivered on this mural, bringing the life of the gallery to the streets in this time of closure.”

PUNKMETENDER’S installation at Art Angels is an ideal analogy for these current times. To many cultures, the butterfly is a symbol of a battle won, a beautiful goal achieved through perseverance, as only through the chrysalis can the plain caterpillar reach the heights of the transformation into the butterfly.

However, the butterfly’s most common symbolism is one pertaining to growth and progress, always reminding us that the long journey behind us is daunting and meant to be this way. And of course, we have all heard the reasoning of how the actions of a single, dainty butterfly can change the world.

“We hope the mural is a reminder of connection and inspiring to the community,” says Napal. “After all, only through trials can we really taste the sweetness of victory.”

In this time of uncertainty, we are all looking to connect with things, people and places of comfort and normalcy. Perhaps things that also inspire us and give us hope. Art Angels Gallery in Los Angeles is doing just that by reaching outside from within, showcasing growth, progress and the reminder that transformation can indeed turn into a beautiful thing — a calming and joyful thought for our strange new reality.