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Artwork promotes mask-wearing, social distancing in Steamboat Springs ahead of busy winter season

Artist Jill Bergman is painting five posters being used in a new COVID-19 public health campaign in Steamboat Springs.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — As an artist, when Jill Bergman works on a piece she wants it to be unique and send a message. 

“I’m trying to make them fun or memorable,” said Bergman. 

Those are two things she’s getting to work on as she paints five posters for the town of Steamboat Springs.

Kim Keith is the executive director of Steamboat Creates and said the town is rolling out a new public health campaign designed to reinforce guidelines people should follow during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Art can become a gentle vehicle for messages that might be difficult for some people or that might be challenging for some people to remember,” said Keith. “So we used visual art to remind people of the give commitments to community safety and public health.”

Credit: 9News

The five posters focus on wearing masks, keeping social distance, washing your hands, staying home if you’re sick and getting tested if you show symptoms. 

The idea is to post them around Steamboat Springs in time for the winter season when more people tend to get sick and more people will be traveling from all over the world for skiing and snowboarding. 

“There’s a reason behind the saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words,'” said Keith. “Because it’s able to communicate so much in a single image.”

Credit: 9News

The posters not only convey health guidelines, but Bergman said she also wanted them to represent the Steamboat community by showing iconic buildings and landmarks. 

"[I wanted to show] local elements, local landmarks and things that tie into our community,” said Bergman.

Along with the posters, Steamboat will combine all five themes into a mural with the project ready for the public by the end of September. 

“The more we can encourage people to pay attention to these guidelines, I think the better off we will all be," said Bergman.

Credit: 9News

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