By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Intern
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families find themselves hunkering down inside their homes. When new community events pop up, people leap at the chance to participate.
One such person is Carla Grant, a retired certified public accountant, who created two of the masks included in the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit hosted by Mainstee’s Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts (RRCA).
When Grant received her masks, she brought her grandson to Hobby Lobby and scoured the aisle for feathers and paint. Upon returning home, the pair had a blast putting together their colorful creations.
“My grandson is so excited to see his art in an exhibit,” Grant said.
Grant’s masks join more than 300 paper mache masks created by hundreds of participants from across Michigan. The masks express the experience of those who lived through the global health crisis and yearned for a period of normalcy.
Each paper mache masks is left blank, so it is left up to the artist to decide what their mask should look like. No two masks in the collection share an identical appearance, with decorations ranging from pasted multidimensional objects to colored crayon.
The “Stay Safe” mask exhibit originated with Patricia Innis, an artist and volunteer director for Michigan Legacy Art Park (MLAP), in August 2020. As interest in the project grew, Innis established a collaboration between MLAP and RRCA.
Word of the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit has spread nationwide, with contributions coming from as far away as Minnesota, Colorado, and California.
MLAP Managing Director Madeline Saucedo attributes the success of the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit to the dedication of Innis and RRCA Executive Director Xavier Verna and the creativity of the participants. She believes the masks gave people the opportunity to connect with one another even while remaining physically distanced.
“You’re not alone in your experience; other people had similar experiences,” Saucedo said. “Their project created a sense of togetherness.”
For those who want to create their own mask, MLAP provides instructions via a How-To blog. The blog allows those who seek an outlet to connect to a community of fellow artistic enthusiasts.
“It is an emotional experience to reflect on the year,” Saucedo said. “People were not able to do as much, so people took up new hobbies such as learning Spanish, crocheting, or knitting. Working on these types of activities can be cathartic.”
The “Stay Safe” mask exhibit is open for public viewing at RRCA during Friday and Saturday until February 27. Those seeking to view the exhibit virtually can attend a free online tour with Innis and Verna on Friday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m.
Exhibit details can be found online at ramsdelltheatre.org/facemask.
