Art

Alisa Robinson

ESSENTIAL WORKERS AMIDST THE PANDEMIC

Sam Kirk, September 2020, Located Fulton Market District, 1030-1044 West Hubbard Street,

Chicago

During Labor Day of September 2020, Sam Kirk decorated a mural in the Chicago,

Fulton Market District in honor of all essential workers worldwide. I chose this artwork because

it represented essential workers and me as well. I know about this artwork in particular because I

have rode pass it on numerous occasions and I can even remember the tribute that was done on

the ABC 7 News last year. In this artwork I see a community who is providing the help and need

of the people who were affected during the pandemic. I see a black man that is helpings

households eat and have nutritional meals to survive during this time. I see a nanny who is

helping those families of essential workers keep home cleaned, food prepped, babysitting, etc. I

see a Hispanic lady that is making sure our stores, warehouses, hospitals, and public places stay

cleaned and sanitized. The postal worker making sure we received our mail, working extra days,

to help because of the shortage of carriers out on Covid leave. I see a helping community. This

mural was created because these essential workers needed to know that they were appreciated

and recognized. The mural was privately funded by the National Workers Alliance. Sam

presented real life workers in different communities of the Chicagoland communities, who are

essential workers and who put their lives on the front line during the pandemic.

Sam used a mixture of implied and actual lines. You have some in which they were

curving , diagonal, horizontal, and even vertical. Her line quality was calligraphic, meandering

and flowing as well. She used a lot of the FEA’s. Gestures and outlines were used on the eyes as

you can see as well. The background pictures demonstrated the use of outlines and contouring.

Light was used as an actual element in this artwork as well. She used the value of color from

light to dark and dark to light. This work is broad in color where you see a range in light and

neutral colors. This contrast of the artwork is light in varying degrees. The artwork emphasizes

work, help, and a community.

There were at least different organizations that had influence on the artist one in specific

was the National Workers Alliance. They had things to show each essential woker in particular

how important and significant they were. In remembrance of those we’ve lost they voiced a

powerful cry for change and the fight for the working people who are vital to our economy and

society. Those workers are disproportionately black, immigrants, other women of color, and

members of marginalized communities. We have a responsibility and a chance to build an

inclusive future in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect by raising pay and

workplace standards, enhancing workplace safety, and expanding worker power. As for, the four

essential workers in the artwork, Carilla Hayden who is the USPS postal worker, Juan Burrell

who is a lunchroom manager at Chavez Elementary, Veronica Sanchez a nanny and leader with

the Latino Union of Chicago, and Maggie Zylinska a domestic worker they continued working

even for lower wages, no access to healthcare or no safety net, or safety protections and adequate

health they had unpretentious but tough impacting reasons. Amongst those reasons they were to

help keep America moving, give healthy food to those who needed it and to help everyone stay

safe.

"We are honored to have this project nationwide in Chicago," "It is such an honorable

purpose,". “The mural is a constant reminder for all of us that will continue well beyond that

holiday weekend.” To protect public health and the economy during the COVID-19 epidemic,

residents must stay as far apart as possible. However, tens of millions of people must continue to

work, often outside the home, in order for this collective response to be conceivable. The country

has a moral obligation to preserve these workers' health, provide financial security for their

families, and provide peace of mind during a period of increased physical and emotional stress. It

is an honorable and cost-effective policy to provide free life and health insurance to vital workers

who must leave their homes to work.

Works Citied

Smith, Colby. “New Mural In Fulton Market Celebrates Essential Workers This Labor Day.”

Secret Chicago, Secret Chicago, 7 Sept. 2020, secretchicago.com/mural-essential-workers/.

Ben-Amots, Zach. “Labor Day Mural Honors Chicago's Essential Workers during COVID-19.”

ABC7 Chicago, WLS-TV, 4 Sept. 2020, abc7chicago.com/labor-day-mural-essential-

worker-chicago-unions-workers/6408850/.

Kirk, Sam. “Provoke Culture Sam Kirk Murals.” Sam Kirk, Sam Kirk, 2018,

iamsamkirk.com/murals.