'What's 6 Feet' Project Aims To Connect Us While We're Distant

SANTA MONICA, CA — A project from a Santa Monica artist and South Bay business owner starts with a simple question: "What's 6 Feet?"

The answer is completely up to you.

Throughout the pandemic, people have been asked to stand six feet apart and to physically distance. There's a big difference though between physical and social distancing though, and this project aims to connect us even more during what's been a challenging time.

Artist Marni Gittleman created interactive prompts with Adam Wodka of Image360 South Bay, a local design and printing company. Now, they're bringing this hopeful vision to life and creating stencils and decals for public spaces throughout Santa Monica to help people continue to stay safe and prevent spreading the virus.

"It's really a project that was born to invite people to have voice, to express, to feel like in all of this apartness, we're creating a feeling of togetherness," Gittleman told Patch.

"There's been so much isolation, there's been so much separation," Gittleman said. "And so, when we come back into the world, we're in resilient recovery, really. So to be able to feel connected, socially, emotionally, helps that distance to dwindle."

A series of playful prompts invite people to connect again and to really share how they feel and reflect. Then, the place markers will be created and shared at local spots — as a safe space of six feet apart.

"We'll be standing with each other's words and stories and experiences — and that is what greets us on these space markers," Gittleman said. "It's all community voice, community heart, community experience."

The process is collaborative and anyone can contribute their ideas on what six feet might mean to them. In March, the campaign started to begin collecting stories and experiences via Instagram @whats6feet.

“Many communities have been devastated by the pandemic and are longing for inspiration in the year ahead,” Wodka said. “Now is the time to look forward to new beginnings and bounce back stronger than ever. We hope that this small gesture will help with that.”

Wodka and Gittleman partnered on the project after Wodka's company launched their “Signs of Inspiration” campaign. In the campaign, Image360 provided local businesses and organizations with inspirational signage around the rebound of small businesses. Gittleman contacted Wodkato to work together after receiving a grant through the Art of Recovery program, an initiative of the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs.

For more information, contact Image360 South Bay at (310) 577-0300 or visit the company’s website at backtobusiness.image360mb.com. You can contribute your response to the question and prompt via Instagram by following and responding to @whats6feet.

For more news and information about the vaccine rollout in California, visit Patch's information hub. Also, be sure to check out How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In California.

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