Amid the COVID-19 pandemic art, often undervalued and taken for granted, has reminded the world of its vitality to society. Aside from movies, books, music and other media keeping millions of homebound people company, artists have found a way to mobilize their talents to aid those in the frontlines, as well as the less fortunate in desperate need of support while Luzon remains on lockdown.
In particular, Filipino artists on social media have pooled together in spontaneous solidarity to start the #ArtforMedPH movement. It’s an ingenious call for collaboration between artists and those fortunate enough to remain comfortable in their own homes. With #ArtforMedPH everyone capable of doing so has the chance to help while staying indoors.
How it works is that artists who’ve chosen to join the movement may be commissioned to create art by clients who donate to any of the causes they’ve provided below their respective tweets. This includes financial aid for various organizations, from those lending a hand to supply PPEs for medical workers, to food drives looking to feed thousands of Filipino families.
“Ever since the quarantine started and classes were suspended, I spend a lot of time on social media. Given that our newsfeed these past few weeks are really loaded with bad news regarding the Philippine government and the pandemic, I wanted to find a way to do something to combat this. Eventually, I came across the hashtag #ArtforMedPH,” Cid Gonzales, an undergraduate student and part-time graphic designer and illustrator tells Preview. “I realized this was a great way for me to participate in helping our frontliners through art and design. This also kept me productive for the past few days as well!”
With an eclectic list of artists now part of the movement, there’s certainly a style or type of artwork fit for anyone looking to donate. For his part, Cid has taken to illustrating icons of his clients in Pokemon onesies once they complete their donation. “[The reception’s] been really great! It makes me really hopeful that people are so game to allocate a little bit of their finances for our health workers,” Cid says as he's actually had to close his stream of comissions to catch up on school work.
Check out examples of a few artists who’ve joined the cause below and don’t forget to visit the #ArtForMedPH on Twitter for more!
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