With my background as a health professional, I immediately think of the respiratory protection a mask affords its user. And now with the measles epidemic here in the state of Michigan, I am certain that respiratory masks are in high demand. 

 Whose responsibility is it to protect the public from preventable diseases that you can be vaccinated for? Whose responsibility is it to pay for the medical costs of a preventable childhood illness for which a vaccine exists? That opens up a huge discussion in another direction. 

 Perhaps an easier thing to think of is our responsibility as artists to protect our health when using art supplies. Wear a mask when dyeing your fabrics or when using art materials that could be irritations to our lungs. Be safe out there when you create. Because there is so much art to create.