About - Life Interrupted

About Life Interrupted

Life Interrupted is the result of an art competition initiated by the California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO) to capture the perspective of Generation Z artists. Generation Z is defined by people born after 1997, and who will turn ages 8 to 23 in 2020.

Generation Z, which has experienced the trauma of mass shootings and dire warnings about climate change, will likely be defined by growing up in a post-pandemic world. Experts believe coronavirus could change the generation’s perceptions of safe social distances and what high school and college are about.

Life Interrupted presents students’ positive and negative feelings during a period when the comfort and security of regular routines have been disrupted: schools have transitioned to digital learning, families have sheltered in place together and traditional rites of passage, such as high school prom and graduation, have been postponed indefinitely.

Life Interrupted will be on view through December 31, 2020, and will be archived on CMATO’s website in perpetuity, serving as a historical record for generations to come. Additional schools in the Conejo Valley region will contribute original artwork and perspective to Life Interrupted.