In today’s world, peace needs to become more than just a word. On Sept. 21, 2012 Town of Webb UFSD Art students participated in an international art and literacy project known as “Pinwheels for Peace” students placed pinwheels with messages of peace in the schoolyard parallel to Main Street.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project that was started in 2005 by two art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, of Coconut Creek, Fla., as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. In the first year, groups in over 1,325 locations throughout the world were spinning pinwheels on Sept. 21 — there were approximately 500,000 pinwheels spinning throughout the world. Last year (year seven), in 2011, over 4 million pinwheels were spinning in over 3,500 locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and South America. For the first time TOW art students enthusiastically participated in this worldwide event. Art teacher Robert Fountain is hopeful next year, with a bit more planning, the entire K-12 building will be involved in the installation.

This project is not political—as peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence and intolerance in our daily lives, or merely peace of mind. To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: “a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.”

Students enrolled in Art 7, Digital Photography, Drawing-Painting, and Studio Art created pinwheels of all shapes and sizes. As part of the creation process, the students recorded their thoughts about war, peace, tolerance, living in harmony with others, and anti-bullying on one side of their pinwheels. On the reverse side, they created a design that visually expressed their feelings. Friday morning students “planted” their pinwheels in the front yard of the school as a public statement and art installation.

“We hope you were able to view these beautiful works of art spinning in the wind spreading thoughts and feelings about peace throughout our town, country, and world,” said Fountain.

For more information, visit www.pinwheelsforpeace.com or contact Fountain. You can view more pictures of the event on www.towschool.org, JR/SR Departments, Art.

Also, if you would like to view a humbling five-minute video concerning “The Memory Project” that TOW art students participated in last spring please visit www.memoryproject.org/Honduras2012.  The video illustrates volunteers delivering the painted portraits created for 15 orphans in Honduras and also captures the excitement of the children as they receive their one of a kind gifts.