To target the Technical Transfer Office at the University of Texas, I decided to make a gift box. Representatives at the office were not responding to my emails or phone calls, so I decided to go with generous snail mail. The gift boxes I made included handmade masks with the Free the Vaccine logo on it and coffee cups with the University of Texas logo on them (except I changed their tagline from “What starts here changes the world” to “What starts here SAVES the world”. It also included beautiful flyer of the Open Covid Pledge, article from the World Health Organization advocating for the pledge, and an imaginary cover of TIME Magazine with UT Pharmacy’s faces (see images).
STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:
Make a version for your target.
Objective:
The main objective was to get representatives from the Technical Transfer Office at the University of Texas to respond to me, so that we can start a discussion about the Open Covid Pledge, on how to pledge making their research for COVID-19 free / available to all and how to make their therapeutics for COVID-19 sustainably priced. My tactic was to take a generous approach, to show that the Austin community deeply cares about their researchers’ efforts in ending the pandemic.
About this project
Creators:
June, 2020
United States, Austin
N/A
Download Original/High-Resolution File: IMG_6365-3.09.19-PM.jpg
What worked?
This was one of my first attempts to “craftivism,” as inspired by Sarah Corbett.
Other Notes:
- An original object can be provided for exhibition
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
- The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)
Reflections from Dannie Snyder
What was the process/journey of creating this work?
As mentioned above, I watched Sarah Corbett’s TED Talk on “craftivism”. This really inspired me to make a gift box for my targets. I did not really personalize the crafts to the targets themselves, but will try this the next time. Meaning, I will do more research on the targets – their interests, hobbies, history, etc. – and incorporate these elements into the crafts.
What were some of the responses to this work?
Unfortunately, I still did not get a response from the Technical Transfer Office. I actually cannot even confirm if they received the packages. Hence why I am considering sending another gift box…
Objective:
Raise awareness in Boston (home of many academic/pharma labs) that we should be concerned about access to Covid technologies and that Free The Vaccine exists!
The Project:
This work was inspired by Avram Finklestein’s lessons on poster creation. I wanted to create something that was succinct, eye-catching, and region specific. The font and donut messaging is a spoof on the Bostonian love for Dunkin Donuts. The “masshole” messaging was inspired by a political add which caught attention by using the phrase “we’re massholes, not assholes”.
STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:
Print some and send them.
Make it specific to your community.
What worked?
It connects with popular culture.
About this project
Creators:
- Olivia Bonardi
June, 2020
United States, Boston
346×500 png
Download Original/High-Resolution File: MassholesRecto.png, MasholesVerso-1.png
Other Notes:
This is a conceptual post card that hasn’t been printed and sent yet. We could write individualized messages and send to targets in the future.
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Original files can be provided for exhibition
Objective:
We wanted a meeting with VIDO-Intervac to discuss the Open Covid Pledge.
The Project:
This is a photoshopped image of all the VIDO-Intervac (Canada’s largest vaccine initiative) executives. I attached in an email to the communications director, the woman in the center.
Sample Interpretive Statment
STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:
Make a version for your target.
What worked?
We thought that putting this woman in a photo with all the executives of her company would catch her eye and that she would be inclined to respond.
About this project
Creators:
- Olivia Bonardi
June, 2020
Canada, Montreal
variable
Other Notes:
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Olivia Bonardi
Objective:
The aim was to create a simple and effective poster, conveying a clear message. We hoped that this poster would be eye-catching, and easy to make physical — and hence share in the public space, as well as on social media.
The Project:
A poster inspired by Avram Finkelstein. A hand holds a vaccine, ready to be used, on a plain background. The title reads “Freedom. It’s Worth A Shot.” The rejoinder reads: “A free COVID-19 vaccine is the only way to keep everyone safe.
#Freethevaccine.”
STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:
Print it and post it.
Redesign it for social media.
What worked?
It’s a ready-to-use image that can be shared widely.
About this project
Creators:
June, 2020
United Kingdom, Cambridge
A3
Other Notes:
NB — the work can be reproduced on site by printing on any appropriate material.
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
- The work can be reproduced on site with instructions (provided)
Links:
Reflections from Sofia Weiss Goitiandia
What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?
I would just create non-stop! If had all the time and skills, I would want to make art, to design, to create physical installations that are smart and effective. I would create a network of people all around the world creating with me, to take up the public space with the messages of social justice and access to medicines.
If someone else were going to make/use/do something like this, what advice would you give them?
Make many, many draft images! Move things 1mm each time. Really create as much as you can. You get on a roll and the images just start to pull themselves together. Then, don’t be too much of a perfectionist. When you have a first draft, ask someone who knows for feedback.
Objective:
The objective of this image was just to create a poster that could be used to gain support for the Free the Vaccine campaign.
The Project:
This image is a rectangular poster that has several colorful people in three lines across its length. The people are a very diverse group and depict multiple genders, ethnicities, races, ages, sizes, abilities, religion, and more. In the middle of the people is a blue box with the words “Who Doesn’t Deserve a Vaccine?” in large print. In smaller print is “Let’s give everyone equal access to a life saving COVID-19 vaccine!” In the bottom right corner are the words “#Freethevaccine.”
TRY THIS:
Revise the text.
Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine
What worked?
We tried pairing other images with the question, “who doesn’t deserve a vaccine,” and this is the one that worked best. Photos got too specific – the cartoon felt like a better fit.
About this project
Creators:
- Emilie Seibert
- Laura Holzman
May, 2020
Image/graphic, Online/web thing
United States, Grand Rapids
variable
Other Notes:
This image was created using canva.com, so all art work was pulled from this site.
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Emilie Seibert
What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?
The next steps would be to further refine this image and then use it as a poster to put everywhere (billboards, subways, etc.). So people realize that EVERYONE deserves access to a vaccine.
Objective:
We wanted to set up a meeting with the technology transfer office to convince McGill to sign the Open Covid Pledge.
The Project:
I attached this to an email to the VP Innovation in the McGill technology technology transfer. He responded!
STRATEGIES:
TRY THIS:
Make a version for your target.
What worked?
The graphic is editable so we can switch out the image depending on our target.
About this project
Creators:
- Olivia Bonardi
May, 2020
Canada, Montreal
variable
Other Notes:
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Olivia Bonardi
Objective:
This was a poster created to be used as a way to gain support for the Free the Vaccine campaign from the general public.
The Project:
This image is a red square poster. At the top in a darker red the words say “You wouldn’t pay for a hot dog twice…” The word twice is in a light pink for emphasis. Below those words is an image of a hot dog. Below the hot dog are more words in a dark red that say, “So why would you for a vaccine?” In the bottom right corner in a white cursive font is “#FreetheVaccine.”
TRY THIS:
Share it on social media. #FreeTheVaccine #PeoplesVaccine
Make it specific to your community.
Make it a performance: ask people to pay twice for something.
What worked?
An early metaphor for the “paying twice” idea we hope to communicate.
About this project
Creators:
- Emilie Seibert
- Aly Bancroft
May, 2020
Image/graphic, Online/web thing
United States, Grand Rapids
Scaleable Vector Graphic
Other Notes:
The idea for this poster came from an idea that Aly Bancroft had in a Mentor meeting.
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Emilie Seibert
Objective:
Pressure the Researcher, or the University as a whole, to sign the Open Covid Pledge.
The Project:
Sports-style trading cards depicting University Researchers, customized with their photo, school colors, and achievements as stats listed on the back. The cards were sent to the researchers, as well as the President or Chancellor of their University, with yarn pom poms and a hand written note asking them to sign the Open Covid Pledge.
TRY THIS:
Make a version for your target.
Invent a game to play with them.
What worked?
The cards were eye-catching but also easy to send by mail (as social distancing is still happening on campus).
About this project
Creators:
- Vivian Peng
- Tod Brilliant
- Kaity Licina
May, 2020
United States, Los Angeles
2.5″x3.5″
Other Notes:
We targeted UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and USC (University of Southern California) because there is a long-standing sports rivalry between the two universities, which are both in the city of Los Angeles.
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Vivian Peng
Objective:
Invite an Indiana University researcher whose lab is working on a COVID vaccine for young children, to pledge to license his work via the Open Covid Pledge.
The Project:
A 1-page comic illustrating why one Indiana University researcher should license his lab’s work via the Open Covid Pledge. We emailed it to him with a note about how much we admire his work and a recommendation for how to print the image.
TRY THIS:
Make a version for your target.
What worked?
It didn’t generate a response from the researcher, but the project helped me build my image-making skills, and I learned a lot about the software I used to create it. I’d never made a visual narrative like this before!
About this project
Creators:
May, 2020
Image/graphic, Online/web thing, Writing
United States, Indianapolis
14 x 8.5 inches when printed
Other Notes:
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Laura Holzman
What skills or perspectives did the collaborators bring to this?
I made this drawing mostly independently – but it was inspired directly by a comic that one of the other groups drafted to send to researchers at the Salk Institute. Theirs also started with the famous quote from Dr. Salk. I liked their idea so I made a new and expanded version, tailored for a different researcher.
Objective:
We’re hoping to create a massive collage of tattooed people from the McGill community (or another university). It’s a fun way to show the admin that people support the FTV mission. We find the faces to say a lot more than a list of signatures on a petition.
The Project:
We asked our friends to send photos of their skin and gave them FTV tattoos.
TRY THIS:
Make it specific to your community.
What worked?
It’s really easy to scale this action!
About this project
Creators:
- Isabel Levine, Syndey Stevenson, Marilou Binder, Olivia Bonardi
May, 2020
Canada, Montreal
462 x 600 pixels
Download Original/High-Resolution File: FTV-Tattoo.jpg
Other Notes:
- Original files can be provided for exhibition
Reflections from Olivia Bonardi
What was the process/journey of creating this work?
This was a collaboration between multiple labs!
What would be your next steps, building on this idea, if you had a million dollars and all the time and skills in the world?
Make this become a trend- actual tattoos, sell them on tattly, etc.