In Tucson, Arizona, the COVID-19 pandemic was and continues to be a particularly significant tragedy, especially among the many communities comprised of high-risk individuals such as elderly, minority, and low-income populations. To both acknowledge and honor the impact of COVID-19 in Tucson, the Pima County Health Department collaborated with the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona to launch SaludArte, an innovative program to engage communities in co-designing pieces of public art about their COVID experiences. Samaj Studio worked closely with The Arts Foundation and 5 community groups across Tucson to select artists and utilize HCD methods to learn about community members' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. These stories were ultimately turned into beautiful public art installations that were unveiled at a celebration in each community in September 2023.

Here is a short film about the project as well as a news feature from the local media.