Monday, October 26, 2020

220,000 Flags

 From WJLA:

“Art exhibit featuring over 200K flags representing U.S. COVID deaths to be displayed in DC”



The oval of green space on East Capitol Street between RFK Stadium and the DC Armory is filling up with small white flags. The art exhibit is being put together by Bethesda-based artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg and the Ruppert Landscape Company. Each flag represents someone in the U.S. who has died of COVID-19. At the head of the exhibit a billboard listing the numbers of nearly 220,000 victims. Ruppert Landscape's Kyle Meissner says his company is putting down 215,000 of the flags. Firstenberg said she initially approached Ruppert Landscape trying to learn how much it would cost to have them put down the flags, but Meissner said after they learned what the project was about COVID-19, they decided to do it without charge. They've called in workers from DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware for what they estimate will be two days of work. They began Tuesday and expect to finish the job Wednesday evening. Firstenberg says she hopes members of the public will visit the exhibit and place the rest of the flags in memory of loved ones. She says the city approved use of the land through mid-November. Ruppert Landscape has installed cameras so the public can follow the progress of the exhibit.

^ Sadly, there are still people out there who aren’t taking Covid-19 or the 220,000 American Deaths from it seriously. While people hear all the different numbers (those tested, those testing positive, new hospitalizations and the deaths) every day it is hard to really understand that scope of tragedy in just 7 short months. This art exhibit is a good way to remember those we have lost as well as showing what 220,000 deaths across the country looks like. It is unfortunate to think that the death rate is only going to continue to rise because people and politicians are taking this pandemic seriously. ^

https://wjla.com/news/local/art-exhibit-featuring-over-200k-flags-representing-us-covid-deaths-on-display-in-dc

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