Mask Making for Essential Workers

Mask-Making for Essential Workers - We transformed our community event space into a socially-distant mask-making operation, where we coordinated over 150 artist volunteers in the production of 10,000 masks for essential workers in the Richmond area, in partnership with U-Fab, VCU's DaVinci Center, and the Community Foundation for Greater Richmond.

The crisis of COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Richmond's essential workers who put themselves at risk for our health and wellbeing. Among those most impacted are our neighbors who faced systemic inequality before this crisis, many of whom are not able to work from home or afford childcare at this moment. 

We know from flu research that widespread mask-wearing can help decrease transmission rates when utilized alongside frequent hand-washing and social-distancing. These actions are cumulative: the more we do to limit exposure, the more the risk is reduced for all of us. 

This project was a collaboration between Studio Two Three, 1708 Gallery, VCU Arts, VCU daVinci Center, Legend Property Group and the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond.

We are grateful for generous donations from our community, including:

• U-FAB (thank you for providing enough fabric for 5,000 masks!)

• The Visual Arts Center of Richmond

• Ledbury

• Blanchard’s Coffee

• and the many individuals who have volunteered their time, money and supplies