For a very enlightening look at how the coronavirus pandemic has affected young people, spend some time with the works submitted to “Tales of Quarantine,” a nationwide initiative organized by Mission InspirEd, a high school student-run, Seattle-based education nonprofit.
They asked students ages 6 to 18 to react to the pandemic using a variety of artistic expressions.
The result was 180 submissions — visual, writing and media — spanning 15 states and four countries. Here they are in an online gallery.
One contributor wrote about their own family’s COVID diagnoses and experience with the virus; another experienced anti-Asian racism. Several artists also responded visually to racism. All in all, the visual works are stunning and some are heartbreaking.
Richard Yang, one of the organizers, called the response “amazing” and said: “They were all inspiring pieces of creative expressions that encapsulated the struggles, hard work, hobbies and skills of students during our time of quarantine.
“Whether it be using pieces of clay to create a stop motion video of the repeating days of remote learning, or a well-written piece about COVID-19, Kool-Aid, & Shiny Pokemon Cards, students all had their unique ideas on the impact of COVID-19 on them and their community.”
The featured piece above, “Metaverse,” is by Diane Park, a freshman at Newport High School in Bellevue. It is explained: “This portrait is about reality vs the virtual world in a quarantine setting.”
Related:
Another way to express those feelings: Enter the Seattle’s Child kids poetry contest
Supporting kids in this difficult time: Tips for helping younger kids and adolescents
