“There’s hope for a better tomorrow. Mask up today.”
Covid-19 Banner for the City of Salem
In the early days of the pandemic, the Punto Urban Art Museum reached out to me wondering if I wanted to submit an entry to their latest contest: creating a poster or activity sheet to communicate how to stay healthy during the spread of Covid-19. My poster was one of the contest winners and printed throughout the city.
I had the honor of getting connected to the mayor of Salem a few months later, who requested the public service announcement as a large-scale banner. I got to design the banner however I wanted, and choose what writing went alongside the image. The banner was displayed for 1.5 years at a hefty 15’ x 20’ scale. I chose “There is hope for a better tomorrow” to capture what I was believing for for the city, amidst a lot of fear and anxiety about what the future held.
Here is my Instagram caption about the project:
“There is hope for a better tomorrow. I know you’re exhausted. There is so much frustration, disappointments, and trauma you’re processing through (and oh yeah, we’re still in a pandemic, so there’s that too). It may seem distant right now, but truly there is hope! And the pandemic will end, hopefully sooner than later. How we continue to respond in this, other people, and every situation we find ourselves in won’t.
“Mask up today. Tomorrow is defined by what decisions we make today. I made the original painting in response to all the posters I’d seen at the beginning of the pandemic, which were defined by fear and sorrow (and I get it: coming to terms with that reality is necessary). This painting represents more of the daily mask-wearing we’ve grown used to. Let’s keep wearing masks, friends. Just a little longer.
“Special thanks to the City of Salem and SWH Realty LLC for funding the project, and the Punto Urban Art Museum for connecting us.
“Photos of the banner created by Morgan Bae at @mbae.photos.”
— 1/9/2021
