ARCHIVE : FACE MASKS ARE HERE TO STAY
RON ENGLISH X THREADLESS
Like everyone in the world, my family has been affected by this pandemic. I came down with symptoms in early March, and while I didn’t require drastic measures, I have had to reevaluate my activities and expectations to adjust for damaged lung capacity. That means no more spraypaint for now and it’s possible that I may never paint another public mural. While that’s sad and disappointing to me personally, it doesn’t compare with the staggering loss of life and livelihood that humanity is experiencing right now. During the early days of quarantine my wife started a mask making campaign for first responders, family and friends, using a stash of cotton fabric that she, like many sewers, had around the house. After her stash ran out, she started cutting up some of my custom-designed PopLife Popaganda cotton shirts, and made and mailed out over 300 cotton covid masks, to nursing homes, our local post office, grocery clerks, and anyone who asked. She has no more fabric left.
That’s why I’m proud to team up with Threadless to scale up our mask campaign, with dozens of designs and a purchase price that goes directly to MedShare, a charity that sources proper equipment to first responders. Face masks are here to stay. This is the new normal. If we have to hide our faces, we might as well display our intentions.
