Holliston Youth and Family Services (HYFS) and Self Esteem Through Art (SETA) are teaming up for an art-based community project to commemorate and reflect as we surpass the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that this pandemic has touched each and every one of us in myriad different ways, so we want to focus on the themes of EMPATHY, CONNECTION, and RESILIENCE.
We are welcoming any and all members from the greater Holliston (and metro Boston) community to share their stories, their reflections, their art, and pieces of their heart with us. Submissions will be accepted through April 15 for our online Gallery Launch and Remembrance event in early May.
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
Why is this an art-based project?
The arts are a phenomenal healing tool, an unparalleled means of personal expression, and an underutilized avenue for connection and collaboration. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of art to help process difficult times and emotions, to leave legacies and honor those left behind, to give those who feel voiceless a voice, and to foster authentic connection through creative expression.
What kinds of projects can be submitted?
HYFS and SETA will be accepting both written and visual arts projects. Projects can include, but are not limited to: paintings on canvas, watercolors, collages of loved ones, poetry, short written essays (no longer than one typed page), sculpture, mixed-media art, art journal pages, haikus, short songs (no longer then one typed page), as well as photography and/or photojournalistic entries.
But, I’m Not an Artist/Not Creative:
Yes, you are…you simply don’t know it yet!
We want you to be brave, vulnerable, and authentic in your entries. If you’re a writer, write. If you connect to your emotions visually, take some pictures. If you are tactile and love the feel of paint, paper, glue, or clay, submit a visual piece of artwork. If you have lost a loved one to covid and would like to honor them, submit photos and stories about that person’s life.
Odds are, if you have felt something or been impacted by covid in a specific way, someone else has, too. The goal is to capture EMOTION…not submit a flawless, Guggenheim-worthy piece of art. We want to FEEL what you have felt. We want to CONNECT with you through your art. We want to foster a spirit of EMPATHY and UNDERSTANDING and RESILIENCE.
You’ve Convinced Me! How Do I Submit My Art?
We are not accepting originals. All entries will become part of an online photo gallery, which will launch and be visible to the public in early May. When ready to submit, you will take a photo in good lighting with minimal background clutter/distractions and submit that photo to HYFS and SETA at our dedicated Project email address. If you need help with how to capture a quality photo, please contact Jenn Pipe of SETA directly and she can help you! *If we receive a submission that we think would benefit from some tweaks, we will contact you directly with suggestions.
Who Can Make Submissions?
Literally anyone who has been impacted by covid in some way and wants to share their story. We would love to hear the unique perspective of children. We know that parents have profound stories to share about the unique impact the pandemic has had in their household. No remembrance project would be complete without the submissions of first responders and essential workers. Teachers have countless stories to tell. Therapists. People who have lost their jobs and livelihoods. People who wish to honor a loved one. Literally anyone. We hope to capture countless demographic groups.
How Are the Art Submissions and the Remembrance Submissions Different?
The Art submissions will be included in our online gallery and the Remembrance submissions will be used for a public installation that will honor loved ones who were lost to the virus.
If you are interested in submitting a piece of visual or written art for the online gallery, please email all submissions (with titles and short descriptions) to covidartandremembrance@gmail.com.
If you are interested in submitting ONLY a Remembrance post, please complete the submission form. You will then be contacted by a member of the HYFS/SETA staff to confirm the details and give you more info about the public installation.
What will the Remembrance Project Consist Of?
As of March 1, 2021 3,438 residents living in Middlesex County have lost their life to COVID 19. Including 7 residents in Holliston. The idea behind the remembrance aspect of this project is to memorialize and honor those who fought so hard and courageously in the face of a terrible illness. Using the tradition of Tibetan Prayer Flags as our inspiration, every name that’s submitted will be placed on a piece of fabric and adorned with a yellow heart to represent being touched by COVID. This will be displayed in Holliston for public viewing at a later date. This installation will also be able to be moved throughout Holliston and surrounding towns.
More About Prayer Flags
The idea of “prayer flags” is borrowed from a Tibetan tradition of hanging small colorful flags mostly in the Himalayas (esp. Nepal). For over 2,000 years, this has been a way to send prayers of peace, compassion and strength out into the world as the wind blows the messages through the air. Prayer flags are gentle reminders, bringing us back to our essence and helping us to open our hearts and minds.
How to Submit Information About a Loved One
If your lost loved one was a resident of the town of Holliston or Middlesex County in MA and you would like them to be included in this project, please complete this form. Non Middlesex County Residents are also welcome to participate in this memorial.
If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email us at covidartandremembrance@gmail.com.