A pandemic-era art project that inspired creativity and connection during the COVID-19 crisis is now being made permanently available in Isle of Wight libraries and community spaces.
Operation Geranium, a grassroots initiative launched during the pandemic, was designed to spread positivity and healing through visual art. Originally created as a morale booster for frontline workers at St Mary’s Hospital, the project involved 14 local artists and generated a collection of vibrant artwork reflecting pop culture, subculture, and counterculture.
The pieces were first displayed at the hospital’s ArtSpace before being removed from public view. However, thanks to the efforts of Isle of Wight-based music promoter Steve Double, the full collection will now be exhibited indefinitely in libraries and local hubs across the region.
As part of the original project, 50,000 printed postcards featuring the artwork were distributed across the globe during COVID-19 travel restrictions, creating connections between communities despite physical borders.
Described by organisers as a “visionary episode”, the initiative aimed to create an unprescribed art trail that captured both the hopes and fears of people living through one of the most challenging periods in recent memory.
Steve Double has said:
“This was art created on the streets where we live.
Article continues below this advertisement “It crossed borders and created new spaces for Island art to be seen all over the world.”
The collection is now free to view for library users, offering an immersive and transformative experience rooted in local creativity.
