#COMBATCOVID

Posters have always been an important means of mass communication, especially in times of crisis. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Poster House teamed up with PRINT Magazine, Times Square Arts, and For Freedoms to launch a citywide public art campaign featuring PSAs and messages of love, gratitude, and solidarity with New York City’s frontline workers. The PSAs can be found throughout New York City on nearly 1,800 digital screens and billboards thanks to partnerships with LinkNYC, JCDecaux, Silvercast, Pearl Media, and Times Square Arts.

When Poster House closed its doors to the public on March 10, we looked for ways to continue our mission to educate and serve the public. Inspired by Steven Heller’s article in PRINT Magazine about posters commissioned during the polio epidemic, Poster House and PRINT asked more than 20 designers to contribute pieces that addressed clear public safety advice, support for our community in New York City, and profound thanks to everyone—doctors, MTA workers, grocery store workers, shippers, food banks, and more—who continue to make the city run through the shutdown.

But to make these PSAs function, they have to be seen. We contacted Out Of Home advertisers who were also feeling the effects of lost income and were willing to donate their screens to us. Silvercast donated an enormous two-sided digital billboard at the Lincoln Tunnel, which we decided to use specifically for messages of gratitude to essential workers coming to resupply and support the city. LinkNYC then offered us their 1,700+ screens in all five boroughs, which meant that New Yorkers could see these PSAs on their necessary outings. JCDecaux brought the first opportunity to take the project to cities outside of New York, with more than 300 screens on bus shelters and newsstands in New York, Boston, and Chicago.

We learned that Times Square Arts was putting together a similar effort, asking artists to contribute PSAs and messages to display on a series of digital billboards in the iconic media center of Manhattan on several gigantic and dynamic screens. Times Square is currently devoid of tourists, but necessary workers still travel through the area. In addition, the media uses Times Square as the world’s window onto New York, and featuring the PSAs in the press functions as another method of distribution. As the project grows to include more designers and venues, we are thrilled to be a part of this effort to give something to New York through the power of posters.

 

Introduction

CURATOR

Poster House
& PRINT Magazine

LOCATED

Citywide

ARTISTS :
Ola Baldych
Seymour Chwast
Pablo Delcan
Matt Dorfman
Jessica Hische
Milton Glaser
Joe Hollier
Mirko Ilić
Masashi Kawamura & Whatever Inc
Maira Kalman
Jennifer Kinon & Bobby Martin
John Kudos
Ross MacDonald
Debbie Millman
Richard McGuire
Gemma O'Brien
Emily Oberman & Lorenzo Fanton
David Plunkert
Edel Rodriguez
Paul Sahre
Paula Scher
Strick & Williams
Klaas Verplancke
Zipeng Zhu
Thank You
Press

ARTISTS

A type based poster with stacked words reading,

Stay Strong , 2020
Ola Baldych

An illustrative poster of a man and woman standing six feet apart.

6ft. , 2020
Seymour Chwast

A type-based poster with red text,

Call a Loved One , 2020
Pablo Delcan

A poster repeating

6 Feet is , 2020
Matt Dorfman

A motion featuring an illustrative poster depicting four different scenes happening within four windows.

Stay Home , 2020
Jessica Hische

An animation featuring an illustrative poster by Milton Glaser of the empire state building.

Empire , 2020
Milton Glaser

A motion combating covid featuring posters illustrating that 6 feet means the total length of a bicycle.

6 Feet Means , 2020
Joe Hollier

A type based PSA poster featuring a coronavirus particle with the

Don't Stop to Read This , 2020
Mirko Ilić

An illustrative poster of a woman looking out of window with a red curtain.

Heros , 2020
Masashi Kawamura & Whatever Inc

An illustrative poster of two people facing coronavirus with the words, love in the time of corona.

Love in the Time of Corona , 2020
Maira Kalman

A type based poster featuring the phrase,

I <3 NYC , 2020
Jennifer Kinon & Bobby Martin

A motion PSA of an orange hill against a blue blackground stating

What Goes Up Must Come Down , 2020
John Kudos

An illustrative PSA poster featuring an armored hand holding up an orange tree.

Essential , 2020
Ross MacDonald

A type based poster of the words,

Together Apart , 2020
Debbie Millman

An illustrative poster of washing hands under running water.

Wash Hands , 2020
Richard McGuire

A decorative type poster thanking essential workers.

Thank You Essential Workers! , 2020
Gemma O'Brien

Motion for a poster promoting covid distancing featuring the word

Apart , 2020
Emily Oberman & Lorenzo Fanton

A red PSA poster of a figure sitting at a table with an empty plate and a hole in their stomach.

Stop Hunger , 2020
David Plunkert

An illustrative poster of a nurse with wings rising behind the NYC skyline.

New York Loves You , 2020
Edel Rodriguez

A photomontage poster of a shopping cart, shopping bag, and astronaut floating in space.

Thank You Grocery Workers , 2020
Paul Sahre

A motion featuring a PSA poster with the words,

You Me , 2020
Paula Scher

A poster combating covid features a pair of red chopsticks holding a message in the form of a fortune.

Clean Hands , 2020
Strick & Williams

A motion featuring an illustrational poster of two people playing tennis from their respective high rise windows.

Save Lives, Live Safe , 2020
Klaas Verplancke

A motion featuring the poster of

American , 2020
Zipeng Zhu

×

Thank You

This PSA project is the result of the dedication and work of the artists who generously donated their talent; the hard work of our peers at PRINT Magazine, Time Square Arts, and For Freedoms; the digital posters debuted at OOH screens around New York City thanks to the generous donation of Time Square Alliance, LinkNYC, JC Decaux, Silvercast, and Pearl Media.

 

 

Poster House and Print Magazine logos together Times Square Arts logo. For Freedoms logo. LinkNYC logo. Logo for Silvercast 2016 logo for JCDecaux Pearl logo. AMC Networks logo. FIU The Wolfsoninan logo.

Press

“Poster House director Julia Knight and PRINT Magazine’s Steven Heller wanted to find a way to help their New York City neighbors in their own creative way.”
— ADOBE, DECEMBER 2, 2020
“In the early months of the pandemic, in partnership with For Freedoms and Poster House, Times Square Arts worked with more than three dozen artists and designers on the messages of gratitude and solidarity displayed across multiple billboards.”
— THE NEW YORK TIMES, NOVEMBER 29, 2020
“The project was inspired by the Times Square Arts partnership with For Freedoms, Poster House and PRINT magazine, which was displayed in Times Square during the spring.”
— THE CHARLOTTE POST, NOVEMBER 9, 2020
“The project serves as an ongoing gesture that honors the essential workers whose work is sustaining New York City as it faces both a global pandemic and political unrest.”
— BROADWAY WORLD, JULY 16, 2020
“Most recently, Glaser was one of over 30 artists and designers that created artwork honoring essential workers for “Messages for the City,” a public art installation across New York from Times Square Arts and Poster House.”
— ARTNET NEWS, JUNE 27, 2020
“Through Poster House’s resourceful partnering, 1,800 billboards throughout New York City were transformed into vehicles for a massive public art awareness project, #CombatCOVID.”
— THE WOLFSONIAN, JUNE 25, 2020
“The 10,000 spoke with those artists and select members of the Poster House team to learn more about the campaign, aptly named #CombatCovid…”
— MASTER & DYNAMIC, JUNE 18, 2020
“A poster campaign where famous NY designers empower the city.”
— CASA BRUTUS, JUNE 12, 2020
“We worked with Poster House, PRINT magazine and For Freedoms to rally artists and designers to create PSAs and messages of solidarity and gratitude for the health care and essential workers keeping the city running amidst this crisis.”
— COMMUNICATION ARTS, MAY 30, 2020
“Times Square Arts, For Freedoms and ​Poster House ​just launched a multi-city campaign, which is on view on digital displays throughout all five boroughs of New York City…”
— ARTISHOCK, MAY 20, 2020
“…the public art campaign aims to ‘encourage a sense of community and pride among New Yorkers, and give artists the opportunity to express their gratitude and optimism through the power of art.’”
— ARTFORUM, MAY 15, 2020
“‘Designers have historically been the bridge between message and audience, communicating clearly and memorably often complex ideas to huge numbers of people,’ Poster House director Julia Knight told Artnet News…”
— ARTNET NEWS, MAY 15, 2020
“Illustrators, artists, graphic designers and poster specialists are banding together…to create public service messages…”
— THE NEW YORK TIMES, APRIL 20, 2020
“‘With people all over New York banding together to combat this disease and support those on the front lines, it was only natural for New York organizations to partner in that same spirit, bringing together the power of mass communication and public art, then magnifying it with our gratitude,’ Poster House Director Julia Knight said in a statement.””
— FAST COMPANY, APRIL 17, 2020
“The city-wide effort will be visible both by New Yorkers on their essential outings, and by the workers who continue to keep the city safely moving.”
— THE ART NEWSPAPER, APRIL 17, 2020
“Twenty artists worked with three organizations…to create an array of public service announcements…”
— PBS, APRIL 17, 2020
“…Poster House, which is curating a campaign in New York to make people aware of the situation and the necessary measures.”
— KNACK, APRIL 17, 2020
“The project will radiate out from New York City’s iconic Times Square, and reach all five boroughs through 1,774 LinkNYC kiosks and Silvercast billboards above the Lincoln Tunnel, all digital spaces donated to the project.”
— BROADWAY WORLD, APRIL 17, 2020
“Poster House and the publication Print Magazine connected graphic designers with Times Square Arts.”
— PATCH, APRIL 17, 2020
“A joint effort from the Poster House museum and the public art program Times Square Arts, the two-part initiative launched with the work of well-regarded graphic designers…”
— LONELY PLANET, APRIL 17, 2020
“On view indefinitely in landmark locations like Times Square and the Lincoln Tunnel, the project covers nearly 1,800 LinkNYC billboards throughout the city…”
— WHITEWALL, APRIL 17, 2020
“Verplancke sees it as the responsibility of artists to try to grasp what is happening in these bizarre corona times.”
— RADIO 1, APRIL 17, 2020
“Verplancke has built a reputation both in Belgium and abroad, and his illustrations were spotted by the Poster House NYC, who asked them to cooperate in the campaign.”
— VRT, APRIL 17, 2020
“Activists are already working on the second stage of the project, which will involve artists from around the world…”
— VOA, APRIL 17, 2020
“…another purpose of this move is to make iconic buildings such as Times Square in New York look less abandoned and more like the response of the people of New York to the hard work of the epidemic.”
— THE CHINA PRESS, APRIL 17, 2020
“New Yorkers could definitely use some bucking up right now, and a new citywide public art project is aiming to do just that.”
— TIME OUT, APRIL 17, 2020
“We wanted to give incredible New Yorkers like Maira Kalman a platform like Times Square not only to highlight artists’ voices, but to communicate the immense amount of gratitude so many of us are feeling while also signaling the city’s resilience and solidarity with their efforts.”
— VULTURE, APRIL 17, 2020
“…Times Square Arts and Poster House released a collection of digital PSAs to light up the streets and lives of New Yorkers.”
— CBS NEWS, APRIL 17, 2020
“The images will be graphically interesting, as this effort is a collaboration between Poster House, one of our museum partners, and Times Square Arts.”
— UNTAPPED NEW YORK, APRIL 17, 2020
“As it has so often in the past during moments of crisis or celebration, Times Square will channel the spirit of the city to the country and to the world…”
— AMNEWYORK, APRIL 17, 2020
“Poster House and Times Square Arts have partnered on a citywide project for New York, transforming billboards and signs into artworks offering public service announcements relating to the coronavirus.”
— ARTNET NEWS, APRIL 17, 2020
“In light of the circumstances, a new billboard campaign has been launched as a gesture of solidarity with New Yorkers during the pandemic.”
— CREATIVE REVIEW, APRIL 17, 2020
“It was amazing how much everyone wanted to use their voice to give something to the city of New York, which has suffered so much at the hands of this epidemic.”
— OBSERVER, APRIL 17, 2020
“Times Square Arts wanted to say thanks, and it turns out the Poster House museum and Print Magazine had the same idea.”
— NPR, APRIL 17, 2020
“Posters are tools of mass public communication, so in a time like this when there is an urgent need for correct information and community messaging, posters are the perfect tool…”
— PRINT, APRIL 13, 2020
“We were in luck: our friends at the Poster House will be launching a collaboration with Print that commissions designers to create contemporary graphic responses to the coronavirus.”
— THE WOLFSONIAN, APRIL 10, 2020
“Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered it temporarily, Poster House in New York featured an exhibition exploring China’s economic relationship with the world through the lens of poster design.”
— METROPOLIS, APRIL 2, 2020
“New York City’s Poster House has redirected its education efforts by encouraging the city’s denizens to look out for one another through a series of specially-designed posters…”
— LITERARY FEATURES SYNDICATE, MARCH 27, 2020
“‘As a museum, Poster House is dedicated to providing education to our community,’ says the institution. ‘In this time of unprecedented uncertainty and anxiety, we are finding ways to continue that mission.’”
— CREATIVE BOOM, MARCH 23, 2020
“Poster House was the first museum in New York City to shut down—last Tuesday…”
— THE DAILY HELLER, MARCH 23, 2020