Every day on Art&Seek, we’re talking to people who have tips for staying creative and calm. Share yours with us on Facebook, Instagram or @artandseek on Twitter. Click above to listen to artist Stephen Fucile share his tip with KERA’s Nilufer Arsala.
The “Quaranteam” at ACME Creative Lab. Photo: Michael Cummings
Normally this time of year Stephen Fucile would be busy selling his acrylic and resin art at festivals, but that all changed in March. Even though the work stopped, Stephen and a group of fellow artists who also found themselves out of work decided to pool their talents and make face shields for local health care workers and first responders.
The polycarbonate face shields are being manufactured in West Dallas at ACME Creation Lab, a 10,000-square-foot warehouse space for artists, inventors, and DIY’ers.
Stephen says, even though these artists are temporarily out of work, they are in full manufacturing mode on the PPEs. “As of April 15th, we have made over 20,000 FDA approved polycarbonate face shields and donated over $16,5000 worth to hospitals, first responders, small clinics, non-profit organizations, and more.”
The group that started with a handful of artists a little more than a month ago now has the help of many volunteers as well as help from members of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. Their goal is to produce 30,000 – 40,000 more face shields.
Besides the face shields, work has also begun on vacuum forming N95 style masks as well as a ventilator project, that if funded, would allow the group to build ventilators for a few hundred dollars apiece.
Here’s a video of how the team makes the shields.
Stephen Fucile and the Quaranteam ACME Creation Lab have gone philanthropic. Our goal is to donate a thousand PPD masks to be donated to the Dallas Police Department before Wednesday. If you can assist in supporting cost for materials please go to https://www.acmecreationlab.org/ click on COVID-19 support and donate.5.00-5000.00 helps out! These are expensive to make…. Thank you!! Repost this either way!
Posted by Stephen Fucile on Sunday, March 29, 2020
To help their fellow artists in need, the collaborative is also setting up a unique art auction via Zoom on Saturday, May 9 at 3:33 p.m. Artists will be tasked with creating works made out of face shields that will then be auctioned off. All the money raised will go to help support that artist and raise awareness to the work at ACME Creation Lab.
Find ACME Creation Lab via their website or call them directly at 1-833-LAB-ACME. Find more on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Stay on top of North Texas COVID-19 updates with KERA News.
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