V&A Museum Launches Call for Coronavirus Collection

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is building a collection documenting the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on handmade signs, drawings, and messages created during lockdown. The initiative, led by Design Curator Brendan Cormier, aims to capture the explosion of written communication seen in windows and shop fronts as a result of social distancing measures. The museum is particularly interested in rainbow drawings made by children, which will join over 40,000 objects in its childhood collection, including toys, costumes, and digital media. Museum of Childhood director Gina Koutsika noted that children across the UK, inspired by global projects and encouraged by teachers and parents, created rainbow drawings to show support during a confusing and potentially frightening time. The public can submit images of their homemade drawings via email. Expert curators will decide which pieces enter the collection. The V&A follows the Science Museum of London, which recently launched a similar coronavirus collection documenting medical, scientific, and cultural responses to the epidemic, including items like Prime Minister Boris Johnson's letter to UK families, hand sanitizers, gloves, masks, and COVID-19 information posters.