Coronavirus Wearable Art Response Project

Coronavirus Wearable Art Response Project

Kennedy Heights Arts Center is excited to present an exhibition of photographs by Cincinnati photographer Tina Gutierrez titled Covid-19, Coronavirus Wearable Art Response Project, running from May 7 to July 2, 2022.

Join us for the Opening Reception on Saturday, May 7 from 5-8pm. Free, open to the public, free refreshments. 

This exhibition will be the first time that images of all of the participants will be on view. Selected from over 120 portraits taken over the last two years, Tina Gutierrez has amassed a visual collection of our local community during this historic moment of navigating a pandemic that affects us all. Tina met each participant mainly in parks and wooded areas around the city, photographing them in the elements as a way to measure time visually as the seasons changed.

Participants were asked to respond with clothing, costume, or other wearable art to express how they felt about the coronavirus, quarantine, and social distancing. The garments are mostly comprised of pieces sourced from the participants’ homes during lockdown, since most stores were closed. Many displayed personal empowerment, and in many cases, gathered strength through objects, and adornments. For others, objects and garments of beauty helped them feel reconnected to the world.

A selection of the participants’ original garments and objects will also be on display, alongside the photographs.

“For many, Covid-19 led to isolation and loneliness. For me, this work is about embracing rather than resisting sadness, loss, and discomfort using the creative process. Wearable art allows these emotions to be expressed in a non-verbal, yet extremely powerful visual language. This time of Covid-19 challenges us all, and the act of creating art as a response can be a healing act,” remarked Tina Gutierrez.

Thank you to our Exhibition Sponsors:

FotoFocus Cincinnati 

The Clyde N. Day Foundation

Image credit: “Revealing the Monster” costume by Calcagno Cullen, photograph by Tina Gutierrez