Items

• 
  2021-07-25

  Interview with Lauren Pease

  Ashley Tibollo interviewed stay-at-home mom, Lauren Pease about her experience with the Covid-19 pandemic. In this interview, they discuss her experience with the lockdown, her worries about the pandemic, and what life was like during lockdown with her foster child. This interview also touches on political protests, virtual learning and her husband's transition to working from home.
• 
  2021-07-09

  Interview with Joseph Giangreco-Marotta

  Wife interviews husband about covid 19 experience.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Minions!

  A family in San Ramon made a cutout of two minions wearing masks and put it in front of their home. The sign says "THANK YOU ❤️ HEALTHCARE WORKERS ❤️ FIRST RESPONDERS ❤️ ESSENTIAL WORKERS WE ❤️ U". The photo was taken on April 30, 2020.
• 
  2020-06-14

  Solace in the Smell

  This is a story about how hand sanitizer kept one woman hopeful during the pandemic. "Sanitation theater" was a coping mechanism used by individuals, businesses, and organizations used to convince ourselves that we were safe. So much of what we needed during the pandemic, was respite from the dread and insecurity. So much was unknown and so much felt out of control. The smell of the hand sanitizer produced by my local distillery instantly evokes the emotions I felt at the height of the pandemic
• 
  2021-06-18

  A Linguistic Tour through Arthur Avenue

  I traveled to New York this summer, and one of the places I visited was Arthur Avenue, located in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx and the main artery of the Bronx's Little Italy. Arthur Avenue provided a unique insight into the function of immigrant languages during the pandemic. Most of the people I heard talking as I walked down Arthur Avenue and went into the stores were speaking English, as would be expected in most of the United States. Some had an accent similar to a "standard" American accent/my Californian accent, while others spoke in New Yorker accents. I heard some people speaking Italian, mostly if not entirely elderly people, in several stores, including Cerini Coffee and Gifts. I also heard expression of language through music, in the form of a speaker in front of Mario's Restaurant playing "Tu vuò fà l'Americano" ("You Want to Be an American") and "O Sarracino" ("The Saracen"), two famous Neapolitan language songs. I didn't expect to hear music in Italian "dialect" (called so even though Neapolitan is a proper stand-alone language). However, Belmont is no longer just Little Italy. It also has a large Albanian presence. I saw a flyer on a street pole in Albanian which I presume to either be a missing sign or a flyer for a funeral. I have no idea what the flyer said because I don't know Albanian, but among the text were two pictures of an elderly man. In front of Randazzo's Seafood, I also saw a sign advertising some type of shellfish (I can't remember which) in Albanian and English, though not in Italian, which I thought was interesting since the store is owned by the grandchildren of immigrants from Sicily. There was also an Albanian television provider called TV ALB, which indicated to me that there are enough Albanian speakers in the area to sustain an Albanian-language cable or broadcast provider, even during the pandemic. I didn't hear any spoken Albanian. This could be a purely anecdotal observation, but I saw Italian primarily as a spoken language and Albanian primarily in writing. There was some writing in Italian, but most of it was either names of food items that couldn't be translated into English or sayings like "mangia bene vivi bene" ("eat well, live well", as a command; the picture of which is attached to this story) for promotional purposes. There was no actual communication occurring in written Italian. On a non-linguistic note, most of the restaurants also had outdoor seating under canopies, a consequence of COVID.
• 
  2020-11-09

  Pupside to the Pandemic

  This adorable story uses the example of a neighborhood in Rosemount, Minnesota to demonstrate the trend of families adopting dogs during the pandemic. In this neighborhood, 17 puppies were adopted by 17 families living within 3 blocks of each other, with a surprise 18th at the end of the video.
• 
  2020

  Magical Summer!

  Because of all the restrictions in place last summer, it was hard to watch all the kids in the neighborhood try and find stuff to keep them occupied and happy. I live next door to three little girls. So one day, when they were not home, I built a small fairy house on the tree between our yards. The girls believed that a fairy had moved in and they couldn't be more excited. Every few days or so I would go and sprinkle glitter around the house so it looked like the fairy was walking around the house. It was so much fun to hear the girls yell in excitement when they saw new glitter or a new addition to the fairy house. It made them and happy and it made me happy. Of course, their parents knew it was me, but to their young imaginations, a real live fairy was living in their yard.
• 
  2020-03-17

  Nobody's Home

  This article shows and talks about how empty downtown Naperville was once lockdown began. This was from very early on, last March, so it was super strange seeing what's normally a super busy place, with people going every which way, so empty.
• 
  2020-08-03

  The Pandemic that Changed It All

  I think we all should take this as an experience to be prepare for the next major event.
• 
  2020-05-12

  Anti-immigrant protest outside of hotel that is housing migrant families

  I was driving back from the library and saw this protest with no masks outside of a hotel that ICE is holding migrant families. They were waving American flags and had signs that said things like "America First", "Biden = Cartel", etc.
• 
  2021-04-05

  Two Shots of Guilt

  Being an older adult, I qualified for vaccines before those who work. I am overwhlemed with gratitude and guilt that I am safe from COVID and others are not.
• 
  2021-05-04

  When will this dream come true?

  This was an assignment in Paula Flynn's 5th grade class at Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica, CA. People hugging having a good time without a care in the world.No masks close together. Like before. A beautiful ray of sun beating down on there faces. Sharing it’s warmth with them.Casting shadows of them. The shadows black against the colorful world. I hear laughter, joy and relief, almost everyone is happy. Leaves are rustling in the wind as if dancing to a beat. Happiness, Laughter, Grateful When will this dream come true. When can we live like this again. Joy Joy Joy
• 
  2021-03-15

  Dear, COVID - Sincerely, NYC

  Dear COVID, You tried to break us. You were rampant. You were brutal. You did not discriminate. You were careless. You hit NYC hard, and didn’t stop. You stormed through our diverse neighborhoods. Our middle class and hard working people. Our less-fortunate. Our most vulnerable. Our elderly and incapable. We became the epicenter at one point, and it didn’t stop there. You halted our way of life. You shut down our small businesses. Our restaurants. Our bars. Our necessities and invaluable operations. Our transportation systems. You divided families and friends. You caused us to feel lonely and scared. Worried. You put people out of work. You ruined lives. You murdered many. But, we’re still here. And we aren’t going anywhere. We fought back. We’re still fighting back. You haven’t gone anywhere, but we’ve learned to live with you. For now. We have regained some aspects of our way of life. We continue to support each other in times of need. We support our small businesses and give back to our communities. We are finding ways to comfort each other and be with one another again. We are being smart. We are being considerate to others and continue to do so. You may still be very present in our everyday lives, but not for long. We will come back from this, stronger than ever. Thank you for showing us what we are made of. Sternly, NYC COVID has been tough on us in the States, more particularly in NYC. This virus is ruining many lives and is still very present. NYC has been affected in many ways, and still continues to be. This has something our city has never had to experience. Unfortunately, the process has been very slow. However, with vaccinations, and herd immunity, we shall get through this and bring back our city with a bang. My family and I have been very fortunate thus far and I always try my best to find ways to give back and support local businesses and families that have been hit hard. I believe everyone should do this to the best of their ability in a time like this. Through all this, we as a city is still standing strong and our will is not broken. The photo attached is a small glimpse of ways we are getting by while also be weary of our actions. You can see a couple enjoying their time at a restaurant, while in the reflection, a stranger wearing a mask and being mindful of other’s health.
• 2020-03-18

  All We Have Is Each Other

  From the start of Covid-19 schools begin to get cancelled and change their way of teaching the students. Children, teens, adults, and seniors had to change everything involving their lifestyle. What we knew as a normal life could no longer be the same. Everyone had to be cautious of their surroundings and use protection gear. Before everything changed our lives my family and I would always get together every sunday. After the CDC recommended that there should be an approximate of 8 people per house in gatherings we decided to not get together as often since a family member worked in a senior home and we had learned that at that time seniors were more likely to get the virus. As the number of cases grew in Arizona and the border closed we didn't get time to see some family. It has been over a year since I haven't seen my grandparents. We call each other to see how we are doing. In my household it is only my mom and I along with my 3 dogs. What we took out of this was better bonding time, school ended early and jobs started to lay off employees because there weren't enough jobs. I had time to train my dogs and learn more commands, which was fun. I learned to do new things. My mom is a cosmetologist so she taught me how to cut hair, and how to apply gel polish. As things started to calm down families around my neighborhood would come out their front yard together and play with their kids and pets more. Families would eat outside and have a good time. But now everything is going back to normal. Sporting events are getting open to the public, and schools are going back to in person. I had learned that many families around my neighborhood shared the same experience.
• 
  2020-03-31

  Ghost City Avenue S

  "Avenue S" a new addition to "Ghost City," 1998-2020. It is a ongoing creation of new web pages begin in March 2020 containing fragmented images and texts that are a poetic meditation on isolation. Because it felt like a ghost town everywhere at the beginning of the pandemic: the streets were empty; the beaches and parks were closed people stayed at home or walked alone wearing masks, I wanted to provide an alternative experience. Avenue S, in retrospect has become a visual journal of the year of Covid-19.
• 
  2020-08-09

  COVID Relations

  This picture was taken in my hometown of Elko, Nevada. My girlfriend and I decided to take some days off and go visit as her parents live in this small mining town. This small town had some pretty lenient restrictions, or they were being poorly enforced. One specific place or I guess monument when looking at the context of the town, the catholic church, was keen on maintaining social distancing protocols and doing what they could to protect those who decided to attend mass. I myself am not much of a religious individual and to be fair my girlfriend isn’t either, but her parents are. Due to this we decided to attend a bright and early 8 am mass. This is a selfie that she took as we are walking into the sermon, masks on of course as we were both wanting to follow the recommendations for our safety as well as the safety of others. This picture only shows half of the changes that were made to the normal sermons, every other pew was closed off and they made sure that people kept the masks on and made sure that each family was at the appropriate distance. This picture means a lot to me because it is the last time, I saw her family and it is mostly due to COVID reasons. Travel is harder and more expensive it seems, and this makes it all the more difficult to plan a trip. The past year has been difficult on every individual and everyone has gone through their own battles and experiences with COVID. This is a memory that brings a little bit of light to an otherwise very dark situation. Personally, speaking this may be one of my favorite memories of the past year and although I am not a religious person I would relive this moment again because of how much it meant to me.
• 
  2021-03-29

  Street Art Destroy Racism – Collection of anti-racist art

  Racism is a virus, a sickness we need to fight and eradicate together! ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 I will never understand, but I stand with you. This portrait is based on a powerful photo by @futurehackney taken during the Black Lives Matter protests in London. This mural will definitely stay for a while – a reminder that inequalities and injustices happen every day, tearing countless lives and families apart, and that the fight against racism and discriminations can never stop.⁣ ⁣⁣
• 
  2020-06-19

  Pandemic Street Art: collab by Menace and Resa

  These are screenshots of the Instagram account that represents collaborative artwork by muralists Menace and Resa. The "UNITY" mural is in South Central Los Angeles, California and was done "in response to pandemic fueled anti-Asian hate crimes." The "More Justice, More Peace" mural is in Brooklyn, New York and memorializes Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. in celebration of Juneteenth.
• 
  2021-03-31

  Chris M. Monaghan Oral History, 2021/03/31

  This is an oral history of Chris M. Monaghan, an artist based in Dexter Michigan, conducted by Monica Ruth, a graduate student intern with the COVID-19 archive, A Journal of the Plague Year. Chris talks about his street art/chalk artwork, participating in chalk art festivals, how the pandemic has influenced the festival and artist scenes, the sense of community in chalk art, and how chalk art is a source of entertainment, hope, and outlet for mental and physical health.
• 
  2020-03-22

  Pandemic Street Art: Welinoo in Copenhagen - takes no responsibility

  Andreas Wellin is a street artist from Denmark, residing in Copenhagen. Some of his recent mural work includes images and themes from the pandemic, including a sneezing woman, and a surreal image of Donald Trump as a COVID-19 virus/Shrek figure. The Shrek-COVID-Trump image includes a caption on the corresponding Instagram post: "I take no responsibility for painting this piece," which is a direct reference to Trump's statement in March 2020 regarding the pandemic, "I don't take responsibility at all.”
• 
  2019

  Homeless and Homes

  This article reports that they are over 17 million empty homes in the United States which greatly outnumbers the amount of homeless people in the country. The article then goes on to describe the location and other demographics of where these homes are. I wanted to include this article because it shows that we have the resources for people to not be homeless during the pandemic but there seems to be no incentive or interest in addressing this problem. The number of homes is so much greater and it could greatly mitigate some of the health and exposure issues homeless populations experience. This will allow me to show how homeless people are traditionally not even considered in resources.
• 
  2021-03-30

  Landlording During the Pandemic

  This article discusses how despite initial assumptions that landlords may have been harmed during the Coronavirus they have actually been seeing large profits. Understanding that landlords are still earning money and turning a profit. This idea is in direct violation of the narrative that these eviction moratoriums are harmful to landlords. I wanted to include this article because I think to understand homelessness you also have to understand property ownership and landlording. I'll use the article to provide examples about how the homelessness experienced during the pandemic was preventable and how the pandemic has been kinder to landlords than to homeless people.
• 
  2021-03-23

  Mash trash #23

  Mask near the construction site at 5th and Ash in downtown Tempe.
• 
  2021-03-22

  Mask trash #22

  Mask trash in the rain gutter near Wholefoods on Ash and University
• 
  2021-03-22

  Mask trash #21

  Disposable mask found alone the metro light rail near Ash & 5th
• 
  2020-04-15

  That fleeting moment of Solidarity

  In those first few weeks of lockdown I just remember a feeling of solidarity with my neighbors. We were all separate, all isolated, but all working toward the same goal. Throughout our neighborhood people had written with chalk on the sidewalk, we took walks every day and saw painted rocks, teddy bears sitting in windows, art and signs of hope and comfort. For a homeschool art lesson I had my sons do chalk splatter painting on our driveway and then taught them about Jackson Pollock. I wrote lyrics to Bob Marley songs and drew pictures of rainbows on the sidewalk. We baked bread, cinnamon rolls, all things warm and cozy. Our family was together in a special way, we appreciated the time together. We went on hikes and fished in the backyard pond and although there were zoom appointments and conference calls, life was moving at a slower more relaxing pace. We were hopeful and confident that by doing the right thing we were saving lives.
• 
  2021-03-15

  Mask trash #12

  Disposable mask trash near Mitchell Park.
• 
  2021-03-15

  Mask trash #11

  White and blue disposable face mask found near 9th and Roosevelt in Tempe, Arizona.
• 
  2021-02-13

  Coronaland -- “Cast Away COVID Island”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world.“Cast Away COVID Island” on Vallette St. in Algiers Point shows all the craziness we put up with this past year.
• 
  2021-02-13

  Coronaland -- “Little Shop of 2020 Horrors”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. “Little Shop of 2020 Horrors” on Bouny St. in Algiers Point paid tribute to a variety of things that made 2020 a crazy year including the coronavirus.
• 
  2021-02-08

  Coronaland -- “2021 -- Here We Go Again!”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. “2021 -- Here We Go Again!” on St. Charles used ABBA songs and a "Mamma Mia!" theme to send up a variety of things related to the pandemic.
• 
  2021-02-08

  Coronaland -- “Life is a Crap-aret”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This House Float on S. Galvez, “Life is a Crap-aret”, celebrated what a shitty year 2020 was.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Coronaland -- “Schitt$ Streets”

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. Tiffany Assaf Tandecki came up with the concept for “Schitt$ Streets” for in front of her Canal Blvd. home; Artist Lindsay DeBlieux realized it.
• 
  2021-02-06

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. Here's “The Clinic” on N. Rampart St.
• 
  2021-02-04

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. Erin Whitely & Aaron Whitely's interactive “Jeopardy” House Float on Chippewa Street was one of the most memorable and creative. Here's also that day's "Answer" that came up on your cell phone when you scanned the QR Code.
• 
  2021-02-02

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation shows “Don't Panic -- Chewy's Guide to da COVID Galaxy” on Camp Street.
• 
  2020-03-08

  Mask trash #10

  White & blue disposable mask along the rail line. Found near the corner of Ash and 5th in downtown Tempe, AZ.
• 
  2021-03-04

  Sacramento artist, David Smith's display of COVID-19

  I heard about David Smith's COVID tree from the interwebs and set out to find it "in the wild" on Sunday, March 7th. The initial article says he created a total of seven giant viruses, and I was able to snap this photo of one in the tree, along with a giant Pfizer vaccine syringe, and a sign at ground-level that reads, "WEAR YOUR MASK."
• 
  2020-03-05

  Why the Canadian Housing Market Is Soaring in the Pandemic

  "In Vancouver last month, the benchmark price for detached homes rose by 13.7 percent compared with a year earlier, reaching 1.6 million Canadian dollars. In the Toronto area, the average selling price for detached homes rose by 23.1 percent over the same time period, and a composite price that includes all kinds of housing topped 1 million dollars."
• 2020

  Campaigning During COVID

  I worked on a campaign over the past election cycle from August to November 2020. COVID brought new challenges to campaign work as everything we did had to be fully remote when before the staple for campaign work was going door to door to talk to prospective voters. This most recent election cycle was very draining as we had to use remote training methods which ended up being frustrating for many volunteers as the instructions were harder to understand. As a campaign worker, I was also left feeling frustrated and strained for much of my employment. Typically in a campaign, we would all share in our victories and defeats together but the distance between me and my coworkers made me focus more heavily on my defeats and shoulder them fully myself rather than sharing in them with my colleagues. COVID made the campaign work significantly harder and more emotionally draining than in other campaigns.
• 
  2021-03-06

  Mask trash #8

  I came across this white fabric mask while walking from home to the university. It was near the corner of Roosevelt and 5th.
• 
  2020-08-17

  Surprise Birthday Driveby

  It was my 64th Birthday and I was down and out on the couch with Corona Virus. I got a phoncall from my daughter asking me to go to the front window. I told her I could barely get off the couch and I had a fever. She told me to bring my phone and video tape my grandson skateboarding. He had just learned a few new tricks. So I managed to make it to the window and to my surprise horns started blowing and cars began driving by my front window. It was a Birthday drive by ! I was in shock. They truly fooled me ! At first I couldn't tell who all these people were but after they circled around a couple of times I began recognizing people. It was my family and friends. They came from as far as Los Angeles County. Even my 96 year old mother was there ! I truly felt love
• 
  2021-03-04

  Mask trash #7

  Mask trash spotted on the walk back from Whole Foods near the intersection of 5th and Hardy.
• 
  2020-05-27

  Together for What's to Come

  A mural painted in Vancouver, British Columbia, that was meant to maintain a sense of morale during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-01

  Mask trash #5

  Mondays are "no media Mondays," at our house. I went out with the family to the river walk along Rio Salado. On our way back to the car, I found this black, fabric, reusable mask on the path just down from the Tempe Center for the Arts.
• 2020-04-09T13

  Adapting to New Life Style

  I was one of those people that when the warnings of a virus was coming I did not think much of it, and me being an only child, my parents were always concerned about my safety. They made me wake up early in hopes to catch a bus with less people to go to school, made sure I washed my hands for 20 seconds every time I came back home. I still always went out with my girlfriend and hanged out with friends. Luna Park was also reopening and I got an invite to work there again. I was really excited and then we hear the news that quarantine has begun. I decided to not take the offer even when they send the email that they promised great care for the staff. Most of friends and their parents got sick and I started to take it seriously when my best friend's father died. It was a big group of friends that knew each other for a long time so it was a very sad time for all of us. Later however my mother did get sick but she did recover quickly and me and my dad were lucky not to get sick. We were not able to return to work however our church did help us when it came to food and our landlord was very understanding and allowed everyone in the apartment to pay rent until 3 months. It was difficult to make that money. Things have progressively gotten better and I've always been much more careful outside especially with me having asthma effects of the virus could be much deadlier to me. These experiences made me learn to take the pandemic more seriously and take care of myself and my family
• 
  2020-02-27

  Mask trash #4

  Disposable masks are everywhere, I found this one stuck in my neighbor's fence.
• 
  2021-02-05

  Across The South, COVID-19 Vaccine Sites Missing From Black And Hispanic Neighborhoods

  An article and short podcast discussing how difficult it is to get vaccinated in Black neighborhoods, mostly due to lack of vaccinations and locations.
• 
  2020-12

  Black New Yorkers within the Pandemkic

  The piece is detailing the real experience of Black New Yorkers specifically Black immigrants within the pandemic and the lack of governmental support afforded to these marginalized groups.
• 
  2021-01-20

  By Any Means

  I lost a father figure during the pandemic who also happened to be undocumented. I connected his life and experience to the overall struggle that undocumented people have been facing due to the pandemic. I also emphasized on their perseverance to survive the COVID-19's financial catastrophe by using one of the few options that they have available: street vending. In general, it reveals the systemic denial of the resources that are essential to surviving the pandemic to undocumented workers, even if they are tax-paying individuals.