Wishing Columbia University Graduates Well with a Free COVID-19 Vaccine
One of my greatest sources of action and joy during this time has been my work with Free the Vaccine, a collaboration between the Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA) and Universities Allied for Essential Medicine (UAEM). Hundreds of us around the world are combining art and activism to ensure that whatever vaccine for COVID-19 is developed is sustainably priced, available to all, and free at the point of delivery.
This past week I worked with a few other participants based in New York to spread the word on Columbia’s campus. Here are the pictures:
And here’s how Free the Vaccine described our action:
Graduation is strange for the Class of 2020, with students celebrating graduation virtually, many of them far from their college campuses. The Ligers—our hybrid Lab focusing on Columbia University—realized they could stage a proper sendoff for the Class of 2020 that also doubled as a call to free the vaccine! Our activists went to campus and dressed the university’s famous statue of Alma Mater in a face mask, with a fake pill bottle labeled “Free The Vaccine” and a sash wishing her graduates well. They also added the message to various other campus landmarks, including Columbia’s lion mascot. The result was a striking action, and a sweet message for graduating students!
Read more about the Free the Vaccine and the need to ensure the coming vaccine is free here. And feel free to spread these images far and wide to help get the message out!