Chattanooga Art Community Responds with Art and Letters for Health Care Front Liners
Love Notes to Front Liners is a new Mark Making initiative in partnership with ArtsBuild and local hospitals that offers stipends to professional artists to create cards for COVID-19 front line responders at Erlanger Health System and CHI Memorial.
Funded by an anonymous individual donation and foundation contribution in the memory of Summerfield aka “Skeeter” Johnston III,” local artists have the opportunity to create artwork for individual cards and write personal letters to these medical personnel thanking them for their courage, compassion, determination and dedication
Mark Making has already distributed 92 cards to Erlanger staff created by eight artists: Amanda Brazier, Shea Brill, Randy Fairchild, Robin Howe, Judy Jasinski, Frances McDonald, Cindy Procious and David Riall. The cards also feature a poem of gratitude by Erika Blackman written for the cards.
And from Jan Keys DNP, FACHE, Senior Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive of Erlanger Health System: “To receive these personalized cards truly touched the hearts of our staff. Erlanger patients, physicians, nurses and all other staff are working hard to keep our community healthy and safe. We know that you all are doing your part by the message of support in the form of beautiful artwork in these cards. Thank You, Always.”
Participating artist Robin Howe offered this observation: “This project has felt like a far greater gift for me than for the Erlanger health care workers. Until this project was initiated, I felt helpless as I wanted to be a part of the healing process. Love Notes to Front Liners has opened a path support these truly amazing and dedicated workers.”
Professional artists that want to be part of this project can email frances@markmaking.org.
Donations of support via PayPal can be made at www.markmaking.org.