Slowly but surely, pedestrians and drivers in Talbot County are taking note of large signs and banners with the simple word of “Hopeful” displayed in color. That is the only message they receive as they walk or drive by. The term has no exclamation point or question mark, no website to check out, nor any other instructions. It is up to the observer to make of it as they will.
That, of course, was the intention of Maine artist Charlie Hewitt. Commissioned as a public art project of the Dock Street Foundation, his four large sign marques, and some thirty banners, are now scattered from the Oxford Ferry to the Farmers’ Market in Easton with that simple message.
Talbot County now has joined a dozen other communities where signs of Hopeful are now on display. Starting with Portland, Maine, and continuing with a New York City installation in a few weeks, this public art project has an extraordinary impact on its citizens, particularly during these dark days of COVID-19.
But as Charlie noted in our Spy interview with him from last weekend, there is more there than meets the eye. While being “hopeful” as a human condition is positively encouraged, it also means taking responsibility.
In the case of Talbot County, that means expressing that sense of hope by donating to Mid-Shore Community Foundation’s Emergency COVID-19 fund that supports local nonprofits operating in the realm of hunger, homelessness, and healthcare.
This video is approximately three minutes in length. To make donation to the Hopeful project please go here.
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