Art and 3D printing, volunteering during pandemic

I am artist Ioan F. In the last year I was involved in creating 3D printed face shields for healthcare workers The idea to make face shields came to me because I saw the desperation of the front health care workers confronted with unexpected surge of Covid-19 cases at the beginning of the pandemic. They were asking the public to help. So I responded realizing that I had the tools and capabilities.

Because of the disruption in manufacturing 3D printing became important player by providing real time solutions by custom printing parts and finding fast local solutions.

I consider making the direct positive impact in other people lives an artistic act. The same as people interact direct with my 3D printed painting in a tactile way by touching and feeling them, the health care workers wear the 3D printed face shields on their heads. I used the same pigments and materials as in my paintings in this way making the 3D face shield functional wearable artwork.

I communicated with doctors regarding the face shield design to make sure what is the best design and requirements. I collaborate with Total Corbion who donated more than one metric tone of sugar cane renewable PLA Bioplastic for the creation of 3D face shields.

This nontoxic Bio-based quality allows me to process large quantities and produce thousands of face shields for health care workers.

This was a day and night process , because the twelve 3D printers run 24/7 Donation made so far to hospitals includes Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Mount Sinai Hospital Chicago, HSHS St. John's in Springfield, HSHS Good Shepherd in Shelbyville, HSHS St. Mary's Hospital Decatur Illinois, Sarah Bush Lincoln in Mattoon Illinois, OSF Healthcare Peoria IL, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Saint Anthony Hospital Chicago/Cook County Chicago, Community Health Chicago, AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital Chicago, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue New York.

Volunteering and helping in any way each individual can get involved in his area of expertise creates a major force that can solve and overcome many barriers in special in time of crisis.

I believe that there are no boundaries between science, art and technology.

The same creative process brings to life art and great innovative products.