Project Wow
Jasmine Hong
Project Wow is the branding effort for a twelve-year-long initiative run by John Jerard and Mary Creede of Jerard Studio, a specialized broadway set and prop design studio in New York City, in collaboration with children at a children’s Cancer Hospital to make art. Each project spans from five to eight months, pairing professional artists with children to create large murals for the hospital, based on chosen themes. This rebrand intends to finance and raise awareness from agencies and the city government to extend this collaborative program, in order to gain the opportunity to make art for public spaces including subway stations and schools.
The book, “Welcome to New York” is an archive of the making process, demonstrating not only the artwork’s evolution from sketches to installation, but also the development of children’s morale, astounding themselves by what they are capable of doing in that very moment, unbounded by limitation, invigorated by play and excited by their very creation.
The accompanying video immerses viewers into the children’s stories through John’s explanation of his experience, paired with the final and collaborative artwork.