Melanie Cervantes, Support Workers Not Corporations, 2020.
Posters and signs are an important means of communication, especially in times of crisis. Join us in making posters and signs, with the objective of raising awareness and sending messages of caring, gratitude, and solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For inspiration, look closely at the way the following artists used text and graphics to communicate their messages. These graphics were created in response to COVID-19 by members of Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, a network of 29 artists committed to social, environmental, and political engagement. Their exhibition Voices From Outside: Critical Residence is currently installed at Rutgers University-Newark’s Criminal Justice building.
Pete Railand, Take Care, 2020.
Wendi Anderson, Show Up By Not Showing Up, 2020.
Wendi Anderson, Accept this Invitation from the Universe to Slow Down, 2020.
Above are two signs made by art therapist and PRG teaching artist Rachel Alban using minimal materials. Now it’s your turn to make a poster or sign! Below is Rachel’s guide to creating a poster or sign that will support people in your community during COVID-19.
directions
- Theme: Think about what the subject of your poster will be. What is your message? Consider how your sign/ poster will help people during COVID 19.
- Copywriting: Decide on the text you will use. You may write your own text or use any of the following phrases:
Clean Hands save lives!
Stay safe, stay at Home
6 feet apart
Physically Distant, Emotionally Together
We are all in this together
Stop COVID19
Please wear a face mask
Thank you Health Care Workers!
- Materials: Gather your materials. Use what you have on hand. Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot to work with. You can design a great sign with just a marker and plain printer paper!
Some materials you might use:
- Drawing materials: pencil, pen, colored pencils, crayons, markers
- Any size paper for a poster or sign
- Scissors and gluestick (optional)
- Design process: Create your poster or sign. Think about how the look of your text and images can best communicate your message. You may want to sketch out your ideas on a scrap paper before you make your sign/poster. TIP: if you’d like to trace your own hand, like I did, first trace it in pencil, then go over it with marker. Otherwise, you’ll get marker all over your hand and project.
- Post: When you are finished, post an image of your poster on Facebook or Instagram and tag Paul Robeson Galleries #PRGNewark. We can’t wait to see what you create!
