Photo coutresy of Edith Garcia.

We value objects as time capsules, as keepers of our memories. This year, while living in a COVID-19 state, the objects around us have taken on more meaningful significance. I’ve turned to art for solace, companionship, and strength.

Earlier this year, with limited PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies available, I looked to the global arts community to see what designers, engineers, and industrial designers were developing. I discovered Josh Hughes, a Portland, Oregon, atelier owner who developed a 3D-printed mask with laser-cut acrylic shields. It was the first time I had come across a face shield transformed into a beautifully designed, functioning art object. I fell in love with his concept—protective masks as art. He donated a portion of his sales to the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. I ordered a face shield, and this purchase became the starting point for future collaboration.

Hughes then developed a singular porcelain ceramic face shield and gifted it to me. This object captures our time, discussions, and collective COVID-19 experience. It will forever remind me of 2020. Its surface—laser-engraved with a coronavirus emblem—gives me hope, comfort, and pleasure in its fragility and in its promise to keep me safe. I hope that this object shares the story of our willingness to thrive and serves as a reminder that objects can be lessons for the future. This breathtaking and breath-giving art object is a reflection of our contemporary history.

Photo coutresy of Edith Garcia.

Edith Garcia is director of communications at NCECA and professor at UC Berkeley and California College of the Arts.

joshhughes.studio | edithgarciastudio.com

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