Kendra Fleischman, Visual Arts Educator wrote: “The 7th and 8th grade students at Denver School of the Arts began the process of creating their peace pole by reflecting on what peace looks like, and how an artist could express this in a pole or totem.  They each designed a pole and then critiqued each design.  As a group, they selected several designs that could be incorporated into a totem pole made of ceramic, slab built sections.  They formed teams of 3 – 4 students and began creating their pieces.  In addition to conveying the idea of peace, they had to consider their design and how it their section would add to the overall finished design. The collaborative process of creating their peace pole was a lesson in keeping the peace as well!”

We can’t wait to see the finished product, check back.

The Florida Youth Art Peace Pole is being created at Jujo Studio under the supervision of Juliet Araujo and Carl E. Erickson in an art class. Carl wrote to say “We have used the painting of the Peace Pole as a springboard for discussions about peace in our personal lives, our family life’s, our community, our nation, and our world”. Check back, there is more info to come about the Florida Youth Art Peace Pole.

 

Natasha Dean’s students at Propel Braddock Hills High School really “went to town” with the Pennsylvania Youth Art Peace Pole Project. They didn’t make one Peace Pole, they didn’t make three Peace Poles, they made ELEVEN! Ms Dean wrote to say “Thanks for all that you do”.

 

Art Teacher Kimberly Rigtrup working under Dr. Lori Santos took on the Youth Art Peace Pole Project in Utah for her senior studio class. Ms Rigtrup went to a Charter School in the area where she worked on the Peace Pole with 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th graders. The students idea was that of “burying our differences and finding commonality in others”.

“After Creating the Peace Pole the students from Mrs. Ruiz class came to Mrs. DaSilva’s class to present a Power Point presentation about the experience of making the Utah Youth Art Peace Pole. We had a student presenter tell the third graders about Our Peace Pole, his experience making it, and about International Day of Peace. I then asked the third grade students what peace means to them. We are looking forward to presenting it to the public for the International Day of Peace in September”.

Using their chosen theme of “Burying Our Differences” the students painted images of people literally burying their differences in the soil. They also added symbols of Peace from different Countries and, very creatively, had the people in their images wearing different flags from around the world as their shirts.

This Project was done through Utah Valley University.

Ms. Rigtrup added:  “This has been  a great opportunity for me and the cooperating class”

 

 

Students in Mike Quinn’s class at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee embraced the Youth Art Peace Pole Project, as it seems they do with everything they are passionate about.

As part of the project the students have been decorating a Peace Pole that will be used at Tennessee’s Youth Art Peace Pole Project event that they launched from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Legislative Plaza in Nashville. Participants are welcome to contribute messages and images of peace to the Pole sculpture during the event.

Student Thomas appreciates the opportunity “to express peace in a work of art as a group,” while Tatiana doesn’t think a tangible object should be a sign of peace. Instead, she said, people should express it because she wants “peace to prevail on earth.”

Webb’s Art teacher Mike Quinn discovered the opportunity at a national art teacher’s conference. and said: “I met Jim Dugan (founder of YAPPP) in March of 2013 during the NAEA conference in Ft. Worth, Texas” said Quinn. “He was working through the World Peace Prayer Society to grow the project. I appreciate his efforts to bring this opportunity to the students and the broader community, and am fortunate to be able to participate. ” All of us with the Youth Art Peace Pole Project are thrilled and also fortunate to have Mike Quinn and his students at The Webb School involved.

Following the Sept. 21 event, Quinn hopes to find a local public place to display Webb’s Peace Pole. It will eventually be returned to campus for display.

Tennessee’s official Youth Art Peace Pole Project was held on the Tennessee Legislative Plaza between 10 AM and 4 PM on the International Day of Peace. People from the larger community were invited to come the Plaza and create a message of Peace to apply to the Pole sculpture or simply participate by leaving your message in a comment or image. “Mark such comments by including the word “Peace” or “The Right of the Peoples to Peace” in the beginning of your comment. Even if you can’t attend with your feet you can virtually “attend” on the interactive website Webb students created for the TN YAPPP! All virtual messages of Peace received by midnight Sunday Sept. 21 will be printed and included on the Peace Pole along with those created on the plaza. This is an organic event seeded by the Peace Pole Project, so feel free to grow it by bringing your celebratory Spirit, music, love, creativity and peace filled Heart to the Plaza, the webpage, or both.”

May Peace Prevail on Earth!

The Webb School’s webpage on their Youth At Peace Pole Project can be found at: http://www.thewebbschool.com/news/detail.aspx?LinkId=4392&ModuleId=40

 

Students under the tutorage of Julie Trout, Seattle Public Schools Visual Arts Specialist, from John Muir Elementary, located in South Seattle learned about the art and history of mosaic while creating their Youth Art Peace Pole. They said our Peace Pole will be featured as part of a community space. “We decided to create our Peace Pole with recycled and repurposed glass mosaic tiles with the colors of the rainbow representing our dedication to honoring our diverse community and support peace in our community and the global world.”

 

Much of the student population is from different parts of Africa so they were especially excited to hear of the tree planting (The Peace Pole Project is working with the not for profit “Trees for the Future” to get 10 saplings planted on the African Continent for each Peace Pole from the PPP). One student even said when he grows up and goes back to Africa (Somalia) he will try to visit the trees. Julie added “We are doing something a little different by creating a mosaic which is challenging but I think will be beautiful!”

 

Part of their Press Release read: “Julie Trout, art teacher at John Muir is honored to represent Washington State in this global movement. While most Peace Poles are painted she decided to work with students on creating a mosaic from recycled glass so each student could contribute a piece and to create a colorful and inspiring sculpture that will greet families and students entering the playground. John Muir is a joyous and diverse school with students from many cultures and many backgrounds. John Muir is also part of an initiative called the Creative Advantage- a partnership between City of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools, that is bringing more arts to traditionally underserved schools in order to bring equal access to arts education to all students in Seattle Public schools. The mosaic Peace Pole is scheduled to be installed June 7th during a community work party then a student/community celebration is planned in September for International Day of Peace.”

 

The students from the National Art Honor Society being advised by Indira Bailey at Bloomfield Tech decided to write “May Peace be on Earth”  in English, French, Spanish and Arabic on the New Jersey Youth Art Peace Pole. They drew their hands and put different flags of various countries in them.

 

The Vermont Youth Art Peace Pole was made by students in Ellen Montgomery’s class at Hunt Middle School and is being displayed in the main office of the school. Teacher Montgomery said their Peace Pole was started in the Fall and used leaves as the main theme because the foliage is so brilliant and is a defining quality of Vermont.

The students decorated “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in the different languages and attached them to the Peace Pole. Students then also sought out additional quotes about peace that they liked and attached those to their Peace Pole.

Carly Treat a 7th Grader when the Peace Pole was made at Lyman C. Hunt Middle School in Burlington, VT said “My favorite part of the Peace Pole was finding quotes to put on it. I personally feel that these quotes represent peace in their own ways.”

Art Teacher Julie Matthews at Anchorage Montessori just wrote that the class is working on creating the time capsule for inside the Alaska Youth Art Peace Pole and they will be dedicating the Peace Pole on Monday, April 28 at the open house for the school as well as at the upcoming art show.

As we just entered Spring, art teacher Julie Matthews along with her students at the Anchorage Montessori School wrote “We are hard at work with our Peace Pole.  It is coming along and we are very excited about the progress. We have chosen to portray the flora and fauna of Alaska along with words in English and Inupiaq, a native language from Alaska.”

We think this might be the first Peace Pole to have the Inupiaq Language on it. Their Pole will be dedicated at the schools art show on April 28th, 2014 and plans are underway for it’s display on The International Day of Peace in September

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