When the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to the events Michelle Bylow organized for emerging artists and talents in Canada, she turned her skills to leading a nationwide effort to sew and distribute masks.
Bylow runs the Canadian Portion of RAW artists, which plans and hosts showcases for their talent, from concerts to art shows and everything in between.
The Collingwood resident mobilized her artist network — many of whom are fashion designers — who quickly and efficiently began making masks.
Approximately 8,000 masks were soon ready for delivery, but Bylow knew she had to help those making the masks get them where they needed to go, and that was a job suited to RAW Canada's experience.
"We can provide that organizational framework," she said.
She and others in the RAW organization are using their event coordinating skills to connect with health-care facilities and frontline workers in the same communities where artists are making masks.
A network of volunteer drivers established by RAW is taking the masks to places in the artists' communities where they are needed. It's a national initiative with grassroots execution.
“We didn’t want a mask maker located in Vancouver shipping to Toronto,” she said. “We wanted that community to be supported by that maker.”
Not only is Bylow and the RAW team working with artists in large Canadian cities, they’re working in remote communities, as well.
“It’s really humbling to see so many people hear about it and want to participate,” she said.
Some of the masks could even be considered designer fashion.
“There are some really awesome fashion designers making masks and they’re using fabrics they were going to be using for their new lines,” said Bylow.
RAW has set up application forms for people interested in making masks, and provides mask makers with strict instructions on types of material and the pattern to use. They’re challenging the makers to make 100 masks each, but she will take any number of masks and organize a final destination for them.
“We are so humbled, our goal was 5,000, and we’ve definitely gone above that,” she said.
As word has spread and the pandemic continues, Bylow said she’s seeing a large demand from facilities in need and people wanting to help out, so RAW is planning another wave of mask making and deliveries.
Bylow said they are still looking for mask makers and volunteer couriers for the nationwide effort. She’s also accepting requests from facilities looking for homemade cloth masks.
Interested makers can join by filling out the form here. RAW Canada has created an instructional video for mask makers here.
Interested couriers can fill out the form here.
Facilities in need of masks can fill out the form here
