Front lawn photo gallery displays Wilmington "village' fight against COVID-19

WILMINGTON -- New Castle County resident Kathe Morse says she likes the idea of public art and has a love of photography.

That's why about six weeks ago she says she decided to put them together to document this moment in time to show a community standing strong together amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

She took pictures of friends, family and neighbors wearing masks, including members of her family.

Morse has now compiled those photos into a public display called, "Fighting COVID-19: It Takes a Village."

"A lot of people were isolated at home," explains Morse, "and it's important that we feel like a village working together rather than each person feeling like their mask didn't make a difference. We can fight COVID-19 if we all participate."

Armed with her iPhone, Morse says she has a group of friends that live nearby and went to several homes to talk and take pictures.

Longtime friend Natalie Crawford was the first to be photographed.

"We all know her to be a wonderful photographer," says Crawford.

They met about thirty years ago through a babysitting co-op in this very same Wilmington neighborhood, known as the Highlands.

They helped each other and watched their children grow up and now many from the co-op have grandchildren too.

"It takes a village," says Crawford, "and we all try to support each other in so many different ways."

Ann McKelvie is another longtime friend who also belonged to the babysitting co-op. She volunteered to have her picture taken, along with her husband, Lloyd.

"She has this photographic ability to bring out good vibes," says McKelvie. "And that's what we kind of needed."

Morse says there were lots of smiles under those masks despite the circumstances.

"It's easy to get stuck in the aloneness of it," McKelvie says about COVID-19.

In the display, Morse included an image of a mother and daughter who were visiting, but there are at least six feet of space between them. She calls it one of her distant pictures.

"I think we're really lucky here, in this community, that we have each other," says McKelvie.

There are more than thirty pictures for those passing by to browse. Morse says her home display will be up on weekends through the end of June.

"I'm part of a village and we're all in this together, and it's a nice feeling," Morse says