Community Art Project: Quarantine Style

Our library’s buildings have been closed for over three weeks now (thanks, COVID-19), and the full-time staff have been coming in to empty the book drops, shelve, figure out future programming options, etc. Since the beginning, after the shock wore off, I began trying to figure out something that our community could do to feel, well, communal.

And my mind went back to when we have a passive kids’ program where they help create the art for our window displays, and I was like “WE CAN DO THIS. We have the technology. We have the capability to make our community’s greatest artwork. Our library will be that artwork. Better than before. Better…stronger…heartier.”

And this is what I came up with:

Essentially, I envision absolutely filling our Children’s Library with community artwork: on the windows, walls, hanging from the ceiling, etc. People passing by can see the installation growing day-by-day. And then when we reopen? What an awesome way to welcome everyone back.

Besides all of the normal workday responsibilities and projects, I look forward to the calming task of printing, cutting, and displaying hearts. It sounds absolutely soothing. Check back in a month or two to see if I still feel that way. Heh.

Also, it’s a passive program that we can easily track. Boo. Yah.

Anywho.

Let me know if you decide to do this at your library (and/or send me pictures!) – it’d be so fun to see communities all over the world filling up their libraries with something that means a lot (whether it’s a heart or some other symbol that your community would rally around).

I’ll likely update my Facebook page with pictures as the artwork grows, so keep an eye out there. Otherwise I’ll probably post here once our library buildings reopen. Until then, stay safe, happy, and healthy.