A social media movement inviting artists of all skill sets to pair with a frontline worker for the execution of a free portrait is picking up traction.

Visual Artists Rodney Mercer and Rebecca Cohoe created the hashtag #FrontlineFacesNL after being inspired by a similar project in the UK. Mercer says it’s a gesture of gratitude for those who must work and put themselves at risk throughout the pandemic.

He says availing of the program is easy, just go online and type in the hashtag.

When they say frontline workers, they don’t just mean those working in hospitals.

Mercer says there are many people out there who are still working—including those in offices, grocery stores, and even automotive repair shops.

They’re encouraging anybody who can draw or paint to come forward.

While there will eventually be a time that the people in the portraits will not be able to look at them anymore, he says people in the future will.

Mercer indicates that online, the portraits will be a permanent record of the province’s frontline workers in this interesting moment in time.