Intermedia

McKenna Black
May 8th, 2020

Thanks to COVID-19 and the timely response from our government, food insecurity for Americans is no less of a problem now than it was when the grocery stores were fully stocked and the restaurants we not shuttered. In fact, according to the United Nations’ World Food Program, the number of people globally who deal with food insecurity could double this year due to the coronavirus (Farge, 2020). America is no exception; while farmers have had little to no trouble producing fresh produce and dairy this season, much of it is going to waste since the restaurants, cruise ships, and other large enterprises have stopped ordering food (Yaffe-Bellany & Corkery, 2020). Meanwhile, food banks are struggling to provide enough resources for those who suddenly need it, since they have not been equipped to handle a nationwide crisis. The pantries and shelves that would normally serve a fraction of their local populations have been overwhelmed by an increase in demand and a decrease in volunteers. The edible donations they would normally receive from restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores’ overstock are dwindling, and in order to attain enough food to serve their community, many food banks have had to begin buying food items at full price. Feeding America, the largest organization of food banks in the country, estimates that they will need some $1.4 billion in order to meet the needs of their users (Kulish, 2020). On April 17^th the USDA announced a new program, the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which allocates $19 billion to farmers as well as to redistribution efforts; $16 billion goes to farmers and ranchers to ensure that they can continue to produce food even after suffering the loss of most of their sales, and $3 billion will go to regional and local distributors so that the next crop does not go to waste. They hope to transport the food grown to food banks and other non-profits across America (USDA, 2020). As of today, it is too soon to tell how this program will impact the widespread food insecurity that many are experiencing. Prior to its release, Craig Fugate, former director of FEMA, said in an interview, “I think being able to get fresh produce, get meats of variety will go away.” (Cooper, 2020). He, along with many other experts, are sure of one thing: we will not run out of food. Perhaps the implementation of CFAP will help to ensure that we do not miss out on food varieties, either. 

In the meantime, while America awaits the results of the $19 billion relief to farmers, crops will need to be replanted since many have been buried and essentially thrown out. Food banks will continue to purchase food they can’t afford, and lines of cars will continue to form outside. Grocery stores will continue to ration the amount of milk and eggs one person can buy. Americans will (hopefully) continue to stay home when possible. Although very different, the pandemic aftermath is beginning to resemble a country at war, a concept that this country is no stranger to. During both World Wars, food shortages became commonplace and Americans were asked to ration their food. One solution to this came in the form of a collective effort, put forth by propaganda and later accepted by the federal government as an economically helpful endeavor: victory gardens. These were gardens that everyday families would make and cultivate all across the country in order to combat the food shortages caused by the wars, and it worked (The Associated Press, 2020). Support for the idea was gathered by distributing posters that depicted beautiful gardens, fresh vegetables, people working in the garden supporting their country, and demanding slogans like “Food will win the war” and “Food is Ammunition – don’t waste it” (Swearingen, 2013). During the current pandemic, many connections have been drawn between the war efforts and the current efforts of essential workers, who risk their lives daily for the good of the population. The concept of victory gardens has resurfaced as well; through social media, new home-gardeners have been promoting their work as a way to prepare for the worst, if the food supply system stumbles, and to share their outlet with friends. Gardening is an excellent way to kill some time. In urban areas, community gardens are working to grow enough to help support food banks and locals who need it. Historian Rose Hayden-Smith explains, “‘We don’t have poster art, but we have Instagram,’” (The Associated Press, 2020). As this movement takes flight, the inspirational messages of the original posters from the early-mid 20^th century begin to resemble the messages that Feeding America and World Central Kitchen activists, like Chef José Andrés, have been proclaiming all along. The bottom line is that food is a necessity, daily. 

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After researching the impact of victory gardens on America’s hearts and stomachs during the wars, I found them to be an inspiring concept that we could all benefit from. This does not necessarily mean we should all grow a garden; as mentioned previously, America is not running out of food. Certain areas and the organizations that need it most, however, are. Therefore, I think that this country as a whole could benefit from the concept of these gardens by taking their message to heart: support your fellow citizens, don’t waste your food, contribute to the fight against hunger [by donations, by advocacy, by spreading awareness, by volunteering, etc]. Food insecurity is not a new problem, but it has been aggravated by this pandemic, and we’ll need an all-hands-on-deck approach to combat it. It’s comforting to see people already beginning to pitch in on this front, with José Andrés’ inspiring movement World Central Kitchen taking a strong lead, and the USDA’s announcement of new funding for distribution centers. I don’t believe that we can ever stress enough the importance of providing food for communities that need it. Therefore, I would like to bring the art world into this. Designers and illustrators all over the world have been creating posters and graphics that are intended to raise awareness about the coronavirus, from depicting #healthcareheroes, to #stayhome and #washhands infographics. Online submissions to competitions for the best, most uplifting and informative posters continue to flow (Loos, 2020). Instagram is ridden with illustrations of thanks to our nurses, doctors, and grocery workers. I wanted to add to this collection by creating a series of graphic images that brings awareness to the food insecurity that many are facing due to COVID-19, and ways that the average American can help. I drew my inspiration from the original victory garden posters, which were incredibly effective in motivating people in their time, and then modernized the images and messages in subtle ways. The slogans and messages used are adopted from current activists’ rhetoric, and the illustrations represent modernized urban gardens, a home-delivery volunteer, no-waste-tropes, and outreach. On a couple of these posters, a nod to the organizations Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, and Action Against Hunger is given. My hope is that these works inspire people to either contribute to the fight against hunger with small tasks like cooking for their neighbors, volunteering at a food bank, or by raising awareness about the issue thereby contributing to advocacy on the subject. The idea is not new, but it certainly deserves more attention: hunger is not going to wait for us to defeat the pandemic before it continues to take lives. 

Resources:

Cooper, Anderson. “Addressing the Strain the Coronavirus Has Put on America’s Food Supply Chain with José Andrés.” Produced by Denise Schrier Cetta. Edited by Michael Mongulla, CBS News, CBS Interactive, 19 Apr. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/jose-andres-chef-feeding-coronavirus-impact-60-minutes-2020-04-19/.

Farge, Emma. “Global Hunger Could Double Due to COVID-19 Blow: U.N.” New York Times, 21 Apr. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/21/us/21reuters-health-coronavirus-un-food.html?searchResultPosition=4.

Kulish, Nicholas. “‘Never Seen Anything Like It’: Cars Line Up for Miles at Food Banks.” New York Times, 8 Apr. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/business/economy/coronavirus-food-banks.html.

Loos, Ted. “Keep Calm and Draw Together.” New York Times, 20 Apr. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/arts/design/coronavirus-graphic-design.html.

Swearingen, Jake. “12 Fantastic Victory Garden Posters.” Modern Farmer, 13 May 2013, modernfarmer.com/2013/05/12-fantastic-victory-garden-posters/.

The Associated Press. “A Century Later, Victory Gardens Connect Americans Again.” New York Times, 21 Apr. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/04/21/us/ap-us-virus-outbreak-victory-gardens.html.

“USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.” USDA, 17 Apr. 2020, www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/04/17/usda-announces-coronavirus-food-assistance-program.

Yaffe-Bellany, David, and Michael Corkery. “Dumped Milk, Smashed Eggs, Plowed Vegetables: Food Waste of the Pandemic.” New York Times, 11 Apr. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/business/coronavirus-destroying-food.html.

Mikayla Humiston

Urban Mask Fitters

May 2020

Materials: swimsuit top padding, Urban Outfitters reusable shopping bag, thread

This face covering is a dual purpose fashion piece that is supposed to be both protective for the wearer and a statement piece on consumerism and capitalism, which have proven to remain prevalent in the midst of a global pandemic. With COVID-19 stopping society dead in its tracks and overturning the lives of millions of people, daily life looks drastically different than it did just months ago. Facial coverings, like masks, are becoming a requirement in many communities. The problem I set out to solve with this piece is to help prevent the spread of the virus while commenting on our priorities as a society. 

The virus affects places based on the people and the cultures present, and we are all still getting used to the new normal. Though in densely populated areas, such as large cities there is a stark contrast where streets are typically full of people eating, shopping, traveling, and sightseeing. These places are largely reliant on people spending money and there is an inherently American quality in consumerism and capitalism. People are beginning to get impatient, and many people are turning to online shopping as an alternative to their usual shopping habits. Americans feel the need to consume constantly, and that does not change in a global pandemic. 

There is also irony in this piece because people are protesting towns and cities being shut down. People are wearing masks to gather and protest, masks to go out shopping for necessary items, and as states slowly begin to reopen, items that are not necessarily essential. With this piece, wearers might quite literally be shopping in a shopping bag. Although subtle, the Urban Outfitters logo repeating is meant to be a reminder that consumerism is a haunting aspect of our society, and that people still care about shopping in some cases more than they do saving lives. It also adds an element of fashion.

I used a bathing suit top pad for thickness to filter the air that the wearer would be breathing in, and to block the air they’re breathing out. The reusable bag itself is soft, and I followed the blueprint of a typical surgical face mask. The ties make it easily adjustable to any head, and the mask, although more effective as an upside down triangle, can be worn either way. The triangle itself indicates a caution symbol, as well as the yellow thread which is often associated with danger – in this case, the disease. I chose the beige colored bag to be subtle, and the yellow thread matches well. The material itself is washable and can be reused until it falls apart. Overall, it is a simple design with a bold statement associated that I think everyone should consider in order to re-evaluate our societal priorities and that which is truly important.