Josie Osborne was in her basement with Kim Cosier on the day the COVID-19 stay-at-home order went into effect in Wisconsin. Josie and Kim were working on their self-described “mini art build,” which didn’t look so little to us. They made giant signs or banners that read “Thank you essential caregivers” and “You are heroes” and “Love is everything.” 

When we interviewed Josie, before the pandemic, she had tough words for political leaders who were afraid to relinquish their power in order to do the right thing. She also talked about a shift in her creative energies toward politics and community in the Trump era. Josie is a wonderful artist who creates mediations from old things. She’s also a senior lecturer and the director of the First Year Program in Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.