The difference in the way we all view the world is beautiful in its uniqueness. The way we feel about our families, the day-to-day events, food, everything is singular. We often take this viewpoint that nobody else shares for granted. But where does it go when time has moved on? How will our stories be remembered as history is written?
The COVID-19 pandemic has united us in some ways, but the way we interpret the changes in our lives—how we feel, what we see, and how we perceive the future—are different, even among family members.
To document the many perspectives on this shared moment, the Library of Congress is rapid-response collecting many types of media that document experiences of the pandemic in the United States and inviting images from the public—including you.
One of the Library’s newest acquisitions is a collection of colorful prints from art collective Amplifier, celebrating the heroes on the frontlines as well as the compassion that we can nurture even when we’re apart.
Another collection is the photography of Camilo José Vergara, who documents the effects of COVID-19 he sees in cities such as New York and Chicago. His commitment to realism shows us the raw truths of the people living through pandemics, in moments that many of us can relate to. How do people interpret the same situations differently?
Toni Lane’s artwork also joined the Library’s collections this year, and her chalk pastel drawings are as colorful as they are emotionally honest. Take in the sharp contrasts, the angles, the colors, and the varied perspectives of the drawings. How might your family members express how they feel with artwork? How can emotions turn into brushstrokes, and how might the colors express our innermost realities?
Photog