Buffalo Public school students from across the district participated in the Peace Project. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says it is an art exhibition is promoting the talents of city school children.
“Their voicing their thoughts through visual imaginary,” stated Michele Agosto, Director of the Buffalo School District's Art Education Department.
The Peace Project promotes, encourages love, peace, tolerance and acceptance of all through youth art work.
Agosto said she very impressed with work submitted for the art exhibit. Students as young as five years of age to high school submitted their artwork.
“The amount of care, compassion and skill and you can tell they put all their heart in it – it’s just impressive and it’s high caliber stuff – I’m just always impressed,” Agosto said as she stood next to the artwork.
The Peace Project started three years and Agosto is keeping it running strong. Olmsted parent Carmen LoVullo is amazed at the depth of each piece.
“I’m just floored – I’m floored at the message in the artwork as well as the talent,” explained LoVollo.
Some of the pieces were created by groups of students. Mindy Herington is a teacher’s aide at Bennett Park Montessori. 24-students worked three-days creating a collage of woven fabric. They created salt-dough ornaments and placed them on the fabric symbolizing peace.
24-students worked three days creating a collage of woven fabric. They created salt-dough ornaments and placed them on the fabric symbolizing peace.
Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
“Well as I see in their ornaments – peace to them is as simple as a cookie they share with their mother, a car going for a drive as a family, so they can find piece in the small items we take for granted every day,” explained Herington.
We found a proud mother standing by her son's piece of artwork. 11-year-old Bennett Park Montessori student Issa Kowa created a colorful painting called ‘Peace, Love & Harmony’.
“I thought about a dragon, then I put that in my picture and then I try to things that related to the dragon, so I just put a girl with fans,” described Kowa.
The word ‘harmony’ is painted across the sky above in the painting.
“That’s the sky – which I blended a lot of colors in to make harmony,” Kowa responded.
As Kowa stood proudly next to his art work at the exhibit he said he said it ‘calms’ him.
“What do you think now as you are the artist standing here looking at it?” asked Buckley. “This is one of my dreams come true when I was a kid,” declared Kowa.
The students work will be display in our WNED studio Horizon Gallery through January 31st. Tuesday evening students and parents gathered at WNED. The artwork was judged and the following students were honored for their artwork:
4-9
First Prize:
Title: Children Can Change for Peace
Artist: Ariana Rose
Age: 8
School # NON BPS
Parent: Tracy Rose
Honorable Mention:
Title: Peace in the Sky
Artist: Ayda Ozay and Mae Herington
Age: 6
School # 32
Teacher:
10-15
First Prize:
Title: Untitled
Artist: Astrid Nicole Lopez Ribot
Age: 15
School # 198 IPREP
Teacher: Erin Kaminski
Honorable Mention:
Title: Inner Strength
Artist: Hannah Jones
Age 14
School #212
Teacher: Kelly Horsman
16-21
First Prize:
Title: Peace Takes Flight
Artist: Yuliana Santos
Age: 17
School # 212
Teacher: Jackie Hart
Honorable Mention:
Title: Equality amongst Difference
Artist: Lynette Cordero
Age: 17
School #212
Teacher: Jackie Hart
