Messages of hope: Street art, teddy bears show a resilient Seattle amid COVID-19

An effort to bring color to the streets of Ballard was organized by the Ballard Alliance. Click through the gallery to see street art, teddy bears and messages of hope displayed throughout Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic. — An effort to bring color to the streets of Ballard was organized by the Ballard Alliance.

**Click through the gallery to see street art, teddy bears and messages of hope displayed throughout Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic.**
Seattle Office of Arts and Culture

SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 9: A general view of the Space Needle lit up in blue to honor essential workers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on April 09, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Landmarks and buildings across the nation are displaying blue lights to show support for health care workers and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Abbie Parr/Getty Images

Stuffed toys (mostly Teddy bears) are being placed in windows or under porches to give children a fun and safe activity while walking around their neighbourhood with parents in Washington on April 6, 2020. - A mass teddy bear hunt is under way around the world to help distract the millions of children locked down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The hunt is inspired by the childrens book Were Going on a Bear Hunt, written by UK author Michael Rosen. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)
ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images

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On April 9, iconic landmarks like the Space Needle, CenturyLink Field, T-Mobile Park and The Seattle Great Wheel lit up blue to show solidarity with those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. When daylight hits, the city's streets are empty but they are blanketed with a kaleidoscope of colorful murals and messages of hope, as artists have taken to painting boarded up businesses.

While silent, these lights and murals send a message that show the city's resilience to persevere through this challenge.

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And with the news that social distancing is working to slow the spread of the virus, there is now a sense of hopefulness. While it is too soon to let up on social distancing and stay-at-home orders, the knowledge that the sacrifices we are collectively making, the upending of our daily routines, is actually having an impact and has added new life to the fight.

Another phenomenon is happening in silence all throughout the city, and maybe you've seen them on a walk: teddy bears or other stuff animals perched in windows or on porches. Inspired by the book 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' by Michael Rosen, these "bear hunts" shine with a sense of optimism and give children something to look forward to as life as they know it has been completely disrupted.

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Hope in these hard times is abundant. We just have to know where to look for it.

Click through the gallery above to see the messages of hope and resilience that shower Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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