In today’s world, peace needs to become more than just a word. On Friday, September 21, 2007, art students at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School will participate in an International art and literacy project, “Pinwheels for Peace.” The students will “plant” pinwheels with messages of peace in the front lawn of the middle and high school, located at 5350 Vaughn Road. This year’s international theme is “Pinwheels Everywhere!”Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, of Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. Groups in over 2,400 locations “planting” approximately a million pinwheels throughout the world have committed to spinning these pinwheels on September 21st. Locally, the Middle & High School Art Instructor, Ms. Joane Grant, has coordinated the Pinwheels for Peace project at MCPS since the project’s inception.
In this non-political art project – Peace is not necessarily associated with the conflict of war; it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to 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.”
For the third year in a row, the Montgomery Catholic middle and high school art students have created pinwheels of all shapes and sizes. As part of the creation process, the students wrote their thoughts about "war and peace / tolerance/ living in harmony with others" on one side. On the other side, they have painted, created collages, etc. and visually expressed their feelings. The students assembled the pinwheels and on International Day of Peace they will "plant" their pinwheels in the front lawn of the high school as a public statement and art exhibit/installation.
