Michael Hall

I have been a mentor to independent artist Monica Moore, encouraging her pursuit to create a memorial to the COVID pandemic experience.

Her project documents and memorializes the coronavirus pandemic as it fades from view and the historical memory. Monica is creating an arts-based memorial to remember and honor lives lost. She does this so that the greatest pandemic of our generation is never forgotten.

It has been an honor for me to see her initial concepts exhibited at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum which included a hands-on art project for participants. This involved the opportunity for patrons to craft their own artistic hearts to help make the project expand. Hundreds participated. The entire partnership has been a hallmark experience for us in our seventy-five-year history as we now enter AAM accreditation and serve the arts and artists in our region.