Community

Artist Description

Layla’s square is about the importance of giving. The hands on the right are passing over a box of canned food to a second set of hands. Layla – one of two project coordinators – has been particularly upset by the financial insecurity and instability caused by the pandemic. She herself was laid off from her part-time job at a local pizza restaurant, but considers herself remarkably fortunate compared to others. Her family signed up for a local initiative to make snack packs for kids and went to Costco to stock up on popcorn, Goldfish, raisins, nuts and healthy snacks: “We would donate whatever we could – canned food, meals, snacks – that not only help with food security but also maintain that sense of community that is very strong in Arlington. We wanted to make sure that in that time of isolation there is someone who wants to help out.”

Layla noticed the hardships that others were going through and her family began helping their community