Name of event: "IMAGINE", an Exhibition of Art Exchanged by Young People to Help Prevent Future Conflict
Organizer: Others Are US
Location & Time: W60th street, Fordham University, 6:30-8:30 pm, November 20
I attended Imagine at Fordham, which was a display of children's art addressing themes of bias, world peace, gender, family, friendship, and interests. The students sent art to other students in schools around the world (Yemen, Egypt, Palestine, and the United States were some of the countries represented). Many of the students wrote poems, drew representations of themselves, and compared their ideas of the Middle East with Middle Eastern students' views of the United States.
I felt that the comparison was the best part of the whole project. By having students compare stereotypes and then actually learn what the Middle East/U.S. is like by talking to someone from there, sharing art, and sending photographs, is a great cultural experience. We talk so much about multiculturalism as teaching about another culture, rather than just celebrating the preconceived notions of it that many people hold (festive dress, interesting food, fun dance music), and by having a culture-share, students are becoming aware of other peoples. Most importantly, they are learning that the students thousands of miles away have many of the same interests and hobbies as them, a great way to build acceptance and celebration of diversity as a part of everyday life.
I would love to do something like this in my classroom if possible, because the final product, the art exhibition, was fantastic, with rich children's art that displayed a deeper message, a lesson that the children learned through this project without even realizing it. Just because we look or act differently doesn't mean we can't get along.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Katrina, I loved your reflection on IMAGINE. I think that's so true, that often when we teach about other cultures, we focus on their festive dress, food, and customs, which are important and often highlight themes in how each culture is different. However, the festive dress, food, and customs aren't necessarily things that exist in their every day life. For instance, in Hong Kong, traditional Chinese clothing is generally only worn at weddings and during Chinese New Year. During the rest of the year, people wear the exact same thing as people in the US, and we eat similar food. Maybe, by teaching about these old traditions and not delving into the modern culture of these places, we're only sustaining cultural stereotypes. Food for thought!
Post a Comment