• JC  JD  IvanGuadarrama

    Photos: Above left, Jay Goldcrown and hearts; Center, a heart painting by Jim Dine; Right, painting by Ivan Guadarrama

    A few years ago, Robert Hunter students and staff collaborated to create the heart mural at the end of my hallway. Inspired by the work of graffiti artist, Jay Goldcrown, it stands as a beautiful symbol of all the love the Robert Hunter community has for one another. 

    Other artists such as Jim Dine and Ivan Guadarrama have made heart paintings as well. 

    We're living in a time that none of us could have predicted. We don't see friends, neighbors, even family as much as we want, and some members of our community are working around the clock to keep the rest of us safe. All the more reason to show our love for each other. We know this time won't last forever, but we can use art to make our world a little nicer and to bring a smile to other people's faces. That's good art!

    Your assignment:
    Option 1:

    • Create a heart to hang in a place in your home that people from the outside can see when walking by, like a window or on your front door
    • You can make it out of any materials you choose, just make it large enough for people to see
    • It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want
    • It can have encouraging or uplifting words on it or not
    • Think about how you can use line, pattern, shape and color to create your heart

        Optional:

    • Ask friends and neighbors to participate
    • Go for a walk and see how many hearts you can find
    • Take pictures of the hearts and make a photo album of this moment in history.

    Option 2:

    Hunterdon Medical Center is collecting positive messages from county students to be displayed throughout the hospital for the tremendous staff that have been on the front lines saving people from COVID-19. Public art is a wonderful way to contribute to the greater good and show positive messages of hope.

    • Create a piece of art that includes a blue heart to symbolize the courage and commitment of the healthcare force and a positive message for them
    • Take a picture of it and upload to the Community HeARTs Artsonia gallery
    • Mail your piece to:
      Kathleen Seelig - Public Relations
      Hunterdon Medical Center
      2100 Wescott Drive
      Flemington, NJ 08822
    • The artwork will be displayed all over the hospital (NOTE: You may not get your work back, but just think of it as a gift to all those who are working overtime to keep everyone healthy)

    I bet you will look back on this time years from now and these images will bring a smile to your face because you helped bring a smile to others' faces! That's good art!