COVID-19 Pandemic

Remembrance and Care, Amaiya Crawford, Kentucky COVID-19 Poster Project, The Filson Historical Society

As the COVID-19 Pandemic began to spread throughout the U.S. in the spring of 2020, the Filson closed its doors to the public from March 16, 2020, to August 31, 2021. Throughout this historic time, the Filson has been collecting stories and documenting life during the pandemic, continuing Reuben Durrett’s tradition from all those years ago. In the fall of 2020, the Filson initiated the Kentucky COVID-19 Poster Project. This effort commissioned seven local artists to create posters that reflected their experience throughout the pandemic and the racial justice movements of 2020. This project leverages the power of words and images to document, interpret, and find inspiration in a challenging historical moment. The posters were sold online between November 24, 2020, and December 30, 2020. All proceeds of the poster sales were donated to the Artists Relief Trust. See the poster project here.