art & COVID-19 Repository

Founded in 1970, Galería de la Raza | Studio 24 is a non-profit dedicated to promoting Xicanx/Latinx art and culture. Their "creative place keeping" ethos is rooted in social inclusion and justice, where community arts are central to navigating the complex intersection of urban development, social inequality, affordable housing, and the historical-cultural legacies of communities of color. To implement our mission, the Galería supports Latinx artists in the visual, literary, media, and performing art fields whose works explore new aesthetic possibilities for socially committed art.

In 2018, Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) used a portion of their ArtPlace grant to support the purchase of the Hotel Daimaru, a residential and traveler hotel, in order to preserve its stock of single room occupancy (SRO), low-income housing. 341 FSN is a collaborative space in the hotel, which aims to promote artistic and cultural experiences that protect the cultural and historic identity of Little Tokyo; share community members’ voices and stories to promote and empower Little Tokyo; inform participants about the Little Tokyo neighborhood, its history, and ways to help shape its future; and build connections between artists, community members, and organizations; and incorporate creative practices to positively impact Little Tokyo.

"Embarkation: The Resiliency of Humanity Amid Covid-19" - Advocacy Album by José Valentino & Bruno Miranda

Texas Folklife's Hechos, No Miedo | Facts, Not Fear bilingual campaign features heritage arts PSAs by and for Austin's communities of color. Working with a variety of artists and community collaborators to produce public health messaging for communities that have experienced high levels of infection and low vaccine rates during the pandemic, this project seeks to engage community members in conversations that respect community knowledge, embrace lived experience, and help identify and overcome the complex barriers affecting equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The landing page to learn more and access all media and content is available in English and in Spanish . The messages as of early August 2021 include: A Spanish-language message for recent Mexican immigrant populations featuring the Huapango music of Los Trovadores de Raúl Orduña, dancers from Ballet Folklórico Lo Nuestro, and murals by Luis Angulo (known as Uloang) and Carmen Rangel (both originally commissioned by the No Seas Wey campaign). Produced by eight-time Lone Star Emmy winning director, producer, and educator Chelsea Hernandez of Panda Bear Films, who was behind the documentary Building the American Dream. Long (3-minute) and short (1-minute) video and audio-only versions available. A mixed English- and Spanish-language message for a younger Latino/a/x audience featuring the Son Jarocho music of Güateque Son and dancers from Ballet Folklórico de Austin. Video work by local videographer Joe Rocha, who has produced nationally aired projects such as “Austin Revealed.” Long (3-minute) and short (1-minute) video and audio-only versions available. A Spanish-language message for an older, well established Chicano audience in Central Texas, featuring the Conjunto music of Johnny Degollado (“El Montopolis Kid”) and Jean Jacques ‘J.J.’ Barrera, and a mural by Raúl Valdez. Produced by Gabriela Kane Guardia, with videography by Chris Sibley of Papalote Productions. Long (2-minute, 21-second) and short (46-second) video and audio-only versions available. An English-language message for Black and African American audiences directed by Mobley, featuring musician and filmmaker Megz (Magna Carda) and others in a dialog about the vaccine and the Black experience. Jacob Weber served as director of photography and editor, while The George Washington Carver Museum provided the setting. Long (2-minute, 14-second) and short (1-minute) versions are available in both video and audio-only formats. View each & learn more on the landing page , or watch on YouTube and listen on Soundcloud .

Some refer to singer/composer Carmencristina Moreno as the “first lady of Chicanx song.” This legendary performer and longtime resident of the San Joaquin Valley grew up performing with her parents, Luis and Carmen Moreno, known as the popular Dueto de Los Moreno in the 1940s. Canción ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico drawing on rural traditional music which dates before the years of the Mexican Revolution and became a symbol of Mexican national identity. Carmencristina Moreno was awarded the highest national recognition for a traditional artist, the National Heritage Award by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2003 for her contributions as a Mexican American singer, composer and teacher. Part of ACTAvando Contra COVID, a program of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA). ACTA produced new works in Spanish and Mixtec in music, poetry and theater by four beloved Latinx artists and ensembles in the San Joaquin Valley. These new pieces all animate public health messaging for the prevention of COVID-19 in the valley, a region which has experienced both high level of infection and low vaccination rates during the pandemic. ACTA's program is one of 14 public art projects organized by the CA Governor's Office and the Sierra Health Foundation. Listen to the original song " La Canción del COVID " here .

Grupo Recreación Musical is a traditional indigenous Mixtec Chilena band from Bakersfield where they perform at local fiestas and Mixtec community celebrations. They are known for their abilities to sing in the Mixtec language and play the popular Chilena rhythms, which is a musical flag for Mixtecs, serving as a beloved kind of social dance music. Pedro Cruz, the group’s leader, composed “Chilena Covid 19” which is recorded in Mixtec as well as Spanish . Over 100,000 Mixtec immigrants live and work in California as essential workers. Part of ACTAvando Contra COVID, a program of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA). ACTA produced new works in Spanish and Mixtec in music, poetry and theater by four beloved Latinx artists and ensembles in the San Joaquin Valley. These new pieces all animate public health messaging for the prevention of COVID-19 in the valley, a region which has experienced both high level of infection and low vaccination rates during the pandemic. ACTA's program is one of 14 public art projects organized by the CA Governor's Office and the Sierra Health Foundation. Listen to the original song " Chilena Covid-19 " here .

Los Originarios del Plan is a traditional Arpa Grande group playing the music from the Tierra Caliente of Michoacan, Mexico. This four-man band plays acoustic strings (harp, violin, vihuela and guitar) with the signature calenteño (natives of Tierra Caliente) high pitched vocals. Their composition, “Valona pal Covid,” draws on their regional tradition of “la valona,” a popular musical and literary form characterized by an acid sense of humor and social concerns. Its lyrics are composed of stanzas of ten eight-syllable verses and musically, valonas are sung to the same musical tune. Part of ACTAvando Contra COVID, a program of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA). ACTA produced new works in Spanish and Mixtec in music, poetry and theater by four beloved Latinx artists and ensembles in the San Joaquin Valley. These new pieces all animate public health messaging for the prevention of COVID-19 in the valley, a region which has experienced both high level of infection and low vaccination rates during the pandemic. ACTA's program is one of 14 public art projects organized by the CA Governor's Office and the Sierra Health Foundation. Listen to the original song "Valona pal Covid" here .

Publishing under the pseudonym Teebs Doodles, an NHS doctor has been creating comics about COVID-19 and the vaccines with the goal of sharing accurate information and debunking conspiracy theories.

This comic, created by cartoonist Maki Naro and physicist, science writer, and public speaker Matthew R. Francis, serves as a cautionary tale about vaccine health communication efforts, using the CDC's campaign to eradicate measles in the 1967 as an example. As we work to promote confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, this comic highlights the need for diverse voices to advocate for public health and combat misinformation.