GLOBAL ART PROJECT FOR PEACE
EMPTY BOWLS, FULL HEARTS
In late April, a package postmarked from Spain came to
art teacher Mrs. Diana Barr’s desk. Inside were large
puzzle pieces, each uniquely decorated by middle school
students depicting their culture’s interpretation of peace.
The artwork, which now adorns the walls of Room 123,
arrived in Dayton as part of an international exchange
known as the Global Art Project for Peace (GAP). Barr and
her students have participated biennially since 1998,
exchanging art with a new group from a different part of
the world every other year. GAP’s mission is to “joyously
create a culture of peace through art.”
What does peace look like? That is the challenge given to
all who participate in Global Art Project, an international
organization that seeks to “create a culture of peace
through art”. GAP encourages artists to use all mediums
of art to create what they believe peace can appear to
be. Artists from around the world participate in this
biennial exchange, with the first step being to create a
work of art inspired by the theme: We Are All One.
Students had the opportunity to assist The House of
Bread in its annual fund raising event, Empty Bowls, last
fall. The event supports the organization’s mission of
serving meals daily to children, families and seniors.
“The goal is to get the subject of peace on the table and
keep the conversation going,” said Barr, art department
chair. “The more you talk about it, the more you get kids
thinking about how they can achieve peace.”Projects of
varying shapes, sizes and mediums are mailed out during
the final week of April, “encircling the globe with this
concept of peace and friendship,” Barr said. Anyone in
the world can participate, either individually or as part of
a group.
According to Lasley, students created bowls which were
then auctioned off to the guest attending the event.
“The kids took the project seriously”, she said. “I’m
impressed with how they wanted to make sure their
bowls were right. It was also about getting the kids to
think about the needy.”
Event organizer David Oaks was also appreciative of the
students’ time and effort. “The ceramic bowls you
crafted were beautiful. [They] will serve as daily
reminders to our guests that there are hungry people in
our community that we can help to serve.”
This spring, students in all five of Mrs. Barr’s classes
created and sent prayer flags (like those pictured above)
to a class of middle schoolers in Spain.
CREATIVE ARTWORKS AT DISPLAY
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