A New Model for Public Health Communication
We Are Public Health
Ulster County Public Health Director Eve Walter provided artist Ryan Cronin with the phrase "We Are Public Health" for its dual meaning—inviting residents to learn about the services of the Department of Health while emphasizing that public health is a collective effort.
Cronin—whose work appears in the Obama Presidential Center and is held in private and corporate collections worldwide— created an original painting inspired by WPA-era public health campaigns, transforming "WE ARE" into accessible, emotionally resonant visual communication that fosters a collective identity.
The artwork exemplifies Cronin's ability to merge historical design vernacular with contemporary messaging, resulting in a work that honors both the graphic power of civic messaging and the collective strength embedded in those two simple words: "we are."
The Approach
The painting became the foundation for a scalable grassroots campaign translated into lawn signs, stickers, and other formats—each featuring QR codes linking to health services. The design is adaptable for billboards, buses, and additional public platforms as the campaign expands.
This isn't messaging from a marketing firm—it's fine art translated into public communication, meeting people where they are: at restaurants, pools, beaches, camps, and community gathering spaces in a way that is accessible and easy to digest.
The approach is simple: place signs and stickers at every public health-regulated site and let people find us where they already are. Through visibility, shared language, and genuine community connection, trust follows — along with real conversation about what public health does and our collective responsibility for one another's wellbeing.
What's Next
We Are Public Health began as a painting. It became a lawn sign, a sticker, a QR code linking someone to a health service they didn't know existed. It showed up at restaurants, pools, beaches, and community gathering spaces across Ulster County — and it is not done traveling.
Ryan's public art practice has always moved this way — from a single piece into the world, finding the people it was meant to find. We Are Public Health is no different. The campaign is built to scale, and conversations are underway about what the next chapter looks like.
If you are a public health official or community organizer who sees a place for this work in your community, we want to hear from you.
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