Theater Arts Faculty Member Designs New Face Mask Line
In one week, the quiet rumors of COVID-19 circulating the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus went from absent-minded conversations of all the possible outcomes to a declaration of a fully online semester. As the frigid spring months waned into hazy summer afternoons, the CDC鈥檚 new recommendations for facial coverings in public areas ensued. While some have not been receptive to this notion, people like Don Bolinger, a staff member of the Theater Arts and Dance department, decided to embrace face masks and place their own creative spin on it.
鈥淭he face mask line started when the previous chair of the department [asked], 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you build face masks for our department?鈥欌�� Bolinger said. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 producing anything, as I had nothing to build. This launched me into a big search online to see the different styles and how people were approaching it.鈥�
Even though he had originally been asked to look into a face mask line by the previous Theater Arts and Dance department chair, it was Bolinger鈥檚 creativity and hard work that made the masks popular.
鈥淚 tried out probably 25 different face mask patterns. I settled on two or three that I liked that was easy to put together,鈥� Bolinger said.
Bolinger had made enough masks for his department and friends but managed to have some leftovers.
鈥淪ome of the ones I have built I have donated to charity,鈥� Bolinger said.
Not only has Bolinger made face masks to encourage more people to wear them, but he has made seasonal masks as well.
鈥淚鈥檓 still looking at new and different ones, the latest one is a scarf mask,鈥� Bolinger said. 鈥淚t is attached to something larger so that in the winter, it鈥檚 easy to take off and let it hang around your neck.鈥�
While Bolinger made the masks to normalize having to wear one, he wanted to add some fun to it as well.
鈥淧art of it is to lift our spirits. I chose some fabrics with humor, like lips, sleeping, Halloween, and Christmas things to brighten people鈥檚 day. Another thing is to try and establish a new normal for ourselves.鈥�
Even though COVID-19 has placed us in a time struggle and fear, Bolinger has tried to make the situation more bearable.
鈥淸COVID-19] won鈥檛 be here forever, but it鈥檚 gonna be here long enough, that we might as well keep it from being so gloom and doom all the time. We have to raise our own spirits, and it鈥檚 up to us to be positive and look forward to the future.鈥�