Photo Record
Metadata
Title |
Kentucky COVID-19 Poster Project |
Collection |
Kentucky COVID-19 Poster Project |
Catalog Number |
021PR3 |
Date |
2020 |
Location |
Kentucky / Jefferson County / Louisville |
Description |
In March of 2020 the world faced a global pandemic with a virus called COVID-19. Early in the pandemic Filson collections staff understood the magnitude of this pandemic and the importance of documenting this global event at the local level. Inspired by the Wisconsin Historical Society's COVID-19 poster project, the Filson staff decided to replicate their iniative by starting the Kentucky COVID-19 Poster Project. Recognizing the historic and challenging nature of individual and collective life in an ongoing pandemic, The Filson Historical Society with the support of the Snowy Owl Foundation Commissioned seven local artists to design and a produce a collection of original new posters in a digital format that spoke to and about life with COVID-19 in the Louisville area. The initial poster themes included: masks, physical distancing, Healthy at Home, healthy at Work; COVID and unemployment, housing, and the economy; COVID and racism; the meaning of essential work and workers; Kindness, duty, assistance, and responsibility for others; hope for the future; and physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. As the staff waited to find a funding source to help underwrite the project the main focus of the project expanded as the national narrative shifted. In the summer of 2020 after the deaths of George Floyd (MN) and Breonna Taylor (Louisville, KY) racial justice protests began popping up throughout the United States including in Louisville, Kentucky. These protests had a major impact on our community, ultimately adding another major theme to the project: racial justice. The Filson decided to conduct an open call for local artists. Seven artists were selected and commissioned to represent diverse artistic points of view within the Louisville community. These posters were either born digital or created through traditional media, then scanned for digital distribution. After the digital posters were completed in the fall of 2020, the Filson sold copies online via Zazzle. All funds raised from the sales of posters were donated to the Artist Relief Trust, an organization that supported local artists during the pandemic. |
Search Terms |
Artists COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-) Kentucky - Jefferson County Kentucky - Louisville Pandemics Posters Social justice Social movements Twenty-first century |