"The lives that were lost were beautiful lives. Yeah, I think it's easy to just think of them as a statistic. And I want to honor the beauty that we lost. For sure, we can do that through the beauty of art."

– Monica Moore

In this episode of I Am Northwest Arkansas®, host Randy Wilburn sits down with artist Monica Moore to talk about the COVID Hearts Project—a powerful public memorial honoring the over 13,000 Arkansans lost to COVID-19. What started as Monica processing her own grief by cutting paper hearts has grown into something much bigger: a community-wide project that brings people together to remember, heal, and create.

Monica walks us through her artistic journey and how she channeled her creative energy into making thousands of paper hearts from recycled materials like fashion magazines and old sheets. The project has become an open invitation for volunteers and communities across Northwest Arkansas and beyond to participate—turning collective loss into beauty and connection. Through partnerships with local schools, organizations, and nonprofits, the memorial keeps growing and giving people a space to reflect and share stories.

Key Takeaways:

The Project

• Art as Healing: Creative projects like the COVID Hearts Project help communities process grief and remember lives lost

The Process

• Everyday Materials: Monica uses recycled paper, magazines, and vintage sheets to create art that finds beauty in overlooked things

The People

• Honoring Healthcare Workers: The memorial includes frames dedicated to frontline medical professionals and their stories
• Community Involvement: Volunteers from across the region have helped make the memorial a grassroots movement

The Impact

• Resilience Through Connection: Art serves as a bridge for healing, encouraging people to face memories, share stories, and build hope for the future
• Building Together: Trusting your imagination, asking for help, and working with the community are essential for making a cultural impact

Tune in to hear how art can help us process loss, why community matters when you're trying to make a difference, and how imagination can be a powerful tool for healing.

• Website: The Hearts Project – www.theheartsproject.com
• Instagram: CovidHeartsProject
• LinkedIn: CovidHeartsProject
• Exhibit Locations: Northwest Arkansas Community College (Shoemaker Center)
• Likewise Community & Coworking Space
• Fort Smith Regional Art Museum
• The Medium in Springdale
• Special Thanks To: Lifestyles Inc.,