Sullivan, an essential employee who is the point of contact for Common Spaces office operations, hung all the work herself while Orlosky Randow managed production of the digital gallery.
“The willingness for the buildings managers from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Real Estate to work with us on this has been amazing,” said Sullivan. She acknowledged the challenges of working on a tight timeline and wearing a mask and gloves. Then there’s the uncertainty of being able to return to certain spaces if something needs to be fixed, such as when a corner of a piece hung at the Cabot Library came unstuck from its adhesive.
“Accepting the reality that I may not get to reenter that building and that piece may not go back up has been tricky, but I think the reactions we’ve had thus far from people are making [the challenges] worth it,” she said.
Those reactions came from fellow staff members at the Smith Campus Center, including Liu.
“Usually all my art is stuck in portfolios, so it’s nice to have them out,” said Liu, who is also taking courses in digital media design at Harvard Extension School, where he plans to pursue a master’s degree. “There’s a lot of space to put art up in society, so this is a great project to display them.”
Orlosky Randow fielded messages from project supporters around the world, including those in the area who wanted to help.
“This was the first project where people enthusiastically volunteered to help, and I had to say that the actual installation is going to be just one person,” said Orlosky Randow.
The outpouring of support showed her that “the buildings are closed, but the community is still here and active. I feel like this is only the beginning of how we’re going to keep engaging and celebrating Harvard’s art communities.”
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