Iowa COVID-19 Memorial

Folding Cranes - Enfolding Community

While sheltering in place during COVID, Pamela Douglas felt a profound call to address our collective loss through creativity, recognizing COVID victims as individuals. Using paper cranes, she created a memorial symbolizing love and healing. Starting in 2020 with 1,500 cranes, the installation grew to over 10,797 by 2023. Douglas folded most of them, representing each Iowan lost to COVID. Each crane, adorned with handwritten names where known, embodies the memory of a loved one lost to the pandemic. Come meet the artist as she shares how the memorial has grown and traveled across Iowa, offering healing to our communities.