THE ARTISTS’ EMBRACE
In the face of the unbearable sadness of the coronavirus pandemic, artists in Seattle are bringing a sense of hope and a demonstration of love for the City. Throughout downtown, the Capitol Hill and Ballard neighborhoods, retail storefronts have been covered with plywood to ward off vandalism. Left blank, the bleakness magnifies the pain and heartbreak of the crisis of the illness, the undue burden on healthcare and other essential workers, the systemic racism that is taking a disproportionate toll on people of color and the economic hardship of the shuttering of businesses, . Some businesses have hired artists at nominal rates to transform these blank walls. In other cases, artists have taken it upon themselves to embrace these walls with great love and care.
I do not know any of the artists whose work is featured here. So, I apologize straight away for not including acknowledgement of them by name. I am grateful to all of them for making our environment so much more hopeful.
