Words by Olivia Montes
This summer, the Wilmington museum is launching Creative Spacers, a project by local artists that encourages coronavirus safety through art.
The Delaware Art Museum is finding a way to bring art to the surrounding community from a safe distance.
With its new Creative Spacers program, the museum is giving local artists, including Jo Redbird and JaQuanne LeRoy, the control to create up to five series of new works to display in public spaces where social distancing and other coronavirus courtesies are essential, including cultural institutions, food banks and open restaurants across Wilmington.
These pieces, which are a display of bright colors and encouraging messages for passers-by to abide by rules of social distancing, strive to bring life against an otherwise ordinary backdrop of uncertainty. The museum partnered with the Creative Vision Factory for this initiative. The program seeks to bring beauty and recognition toward not only those bringing these vinyl decals to life, but also toward the necessity of social distancing in uncertain times, the museum described in a news release.
“As a museum, we pivoted to looking for ways to keep art in our communities and live at a time when they could come to the museum,” says Jonathan W. Whitney, manager of performance programs and community engagements at the museum. “Creative Spacers grew out of that conversation [with Spur Impact’s executive director Charlie Vincent] where our organizations could partner to artistically respond to the COVID-19 crisis and support Delaware’s artistic community during these challenging times.”
Pilot installations will be placed throughout the Wilmington community in places like Green Box Kitchen, the Latin American Community Center and the West End Neighborhood House. Plus, additional installations within the museum itself.
The Creative Spacers project allows for the chance for art to reach across widespread audiences and transcend the importance and significance of community by people installed in every day places.
“As more people come out [from quarantine], I hope the Creative Spacers help to lower the anxiety that will be present as people take more “risks” while also reminding them of ways to stay safe,” Whitney adds. “My hope is that the Creative Spacers lower anxiety as we welcome our community back to public spaces while bringing awareness.”
For more information about Creative Spacers, visit delart.org.
