Star Power

At first glance they look like the kinds of signs you see everywhere; signs that say things like, “Beware of dog,” “Danger, high voltage” or “Do not back up! Severe tire damage.” It’s only when you stop to actually read that you realize these signs are, well, different. These say things like, “Attention! You are wonderful and deserve every happiness,” or “Notice: I never stopped loving you. Hope you are well.” These handmade signs are the work of artist April Soetarman, who began quietly installing them around Seattle in 2016. “I define delight as that intersection of positive and unexpected,” she says, “I think this is something delightful people would want to stumble across in their city.” For a Kickstarter donation of $35 to $50, you might own a sign that says, “You can do anything, but not everything,” or “Choose your own reality,” or “Stay creative so robots can’t take your job.”