"One Philly" art group brings thousands together online during Coronavirus outbreak
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Robin Mack-Ward is not an artist. She also does not have a background in art therapy. However, she took her appreciation for the craft to a new level once the outbreak of COVID-19 shook up her daily life.
She created a Facebook Group, "One Philly: Corona Virus Public Art Project," as an homage to the One Book, One Philadelphia program that brings the community together through reading. Instead, she elected to use art as a means for families to escape the turbulence of self-isolation.
The group was created on March 15 and has already exceeded 2,000 members. Each week, Robin proposes a theme to fuel the creative minds of Philadelphia. The first week, the theme surrounded plants and the earth. This week, families have been pouring forth art related to the night sky and beyond.
Families are encouraged to display their artwork on their front windows. Therefore, in a time when museums and art galleries are temporarily shut down, the whole neighborhood will fill in the blanks. Robin is compiling a map of this artwork that includes families who share their residential block.
Whether you are on a social-distance stroll or scrolling through Facebook, you can appreciate hundreds of artwork that would have otherwise not existed.
Everyone from toddlers to professional artists is joining in on the fun. Robin never expected it to grow so large, but she hopes it continues to be a beacon of light that shines through beyond the end of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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