Early Friday morning, volunteers gather to lay their blankets across a tarp to create the image of a desert flower for the Ground Cover Public Art Project, which will donate 300 blankets to the homeless for the winter.
Before the image is translated, everyone gathers to receive direction from the organizer of the project, Ann Morton.
Each blanket is composed of 28 10-inch-by-10-inch squares. The squares have designated colors that act as pixels in the overall image.
Teams of mostly two are given a row of 15 blankets to lay out. They follow the grid and place the 40-inch by 70-inch blankets in their appropriate places.
Without every blanket, there would be an empty spot in the Covering Ground Public Art Project, which symbolizes how each blanket will make a difference in the big picture.
Nancy Snyder points to the project’s layout to make certain that the blankets have been set up correctly in her row.
A hammer and spike are used to secure each blanket into its rightful place in the grid, solidifying its spot.
To ensure that there are no empty spots between blankets, volunteers work as a team to stretch and attach each blanket to the neighboring one.
Candace Wilkinson uses safety pins to attach the blankets to one another.
After being in the sun all morning, volunteers lie down and admire their work. They choose to pose together for the time-lapse video above them.
Kicking off Saturday’s open viewing, Mayor Greg Stanton gives his dedication to Morton and the project’s purpose.
Councilman Michael Nowakowski gives his thanks to Morton and all of the hard work she put into the Ground Cover Public Art Project.
Morton said she has been impacted by the overwhelming amount of help she has received from strangers to make the Ground Cover Public Arts Project possible. She is nearly moved to tears in the middle of her speech.
Contact the photographer at courtney.pedroza@gmail.com
