Chester Elementary School community gathers for global art show

On the evening of April 9, Chester Elementary School came alive with the sights, sounds, and flavors of cultures from every part of the globe. The school’s first-ever “Around the World Art Show & Multicultural Family Night” brought together two events under one roof, drawing more than 100 Chester community members through the doors for an unforgettable evening of cultural celebration.

An immersive experience

From the moment guests arrived, the experience was immersive. Families received their very own “passports” and traveled through the CES art show, where artwork from every student in pre-K through fifth grade was proudly on display. The art show, organized by Chester Elementary School art teacher Emily Daunicht, was built around the theme, “Art Around the World.” Students spent weeks creating pieces inspired by each of the seven continents, with each student showcasing three to four works.

”Art Around the World had our students “traveling” to each of the seven continents and creating artwork that was representative of each,” said Daunicht. “We had penguins from Antarctica, Australian Aboriginal dot animals, metal scarabs from Egypt, rain sticks, and paper weaving of Kente cloth to name a few of the many projects.”

A nod to a Japanese children’s story

One of the evening’s most striking features was a display of more than 1,000 paper cranes — a project that bridged art, culture, and literacy. The crane project was inspired by “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,” the beloved children’s story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima who, after being diagnosed with leukemia following the atomic bombing of World War II, set out to fold 1,000 origami cranes.

Students learned that, according to Japanese legend, doing so would grant Sadako a wish. Daunicht sent a letter to families from both Chester school buildings asking for volunteers to help fold cranes toward that same goal — connecting the hands-on art project to themes of hope, perseverance, and peace found in the story.

”All told, participation was awesome, and we folded over 1,000 paper cranes,” beamed Daunicht.

Families invited to share a piece of their culture

The multicultural component of the evening was organized by the school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, which had been working toward such an event for nearly two years. Families were invited to share a piece of their culture — whether through food, music, dance, traditional clothing, art, games or storytelling. Four families signed up in advance, and a fifth even arrived on the night of the event with coolers full of food; they were, of course, welcomed without hesitation.

The families set up their exhibits in the elementary school’s main lobby, which became every visitor’s first step into a hub of cultural exploration. It was every guest’s first stop before continuing their way through the art show, which lined the length of the library hallway and filled the entire makerspace.

A dominoes lesson from Chester’s director of curriculum, instruction and communication

Dayanara Garcia, Chester’s director of curriculum, instruction and communication, hosted an interactive table where guests could learn to play dominoes, the beloved tabletop game enjoyed in many Latin American and Caribbean cultures, as well as communities worldwide.

”It was truly inspiring to see our community come together, learning from one another, celebrating our differences, and strengthening the bonds that make CES such a special place,” said Garcia.

A succesful night

Chester Elementary School Principal Mary Kate Boesch called the night a resounding success, noting that guests spent the evening eating, laughing, and playing games.

“Best of all, we were able to give everyone a chance to share and to learn about the many cultures represented within our own school community,” Boesch said.

Perhaps the most telling sign of the event’s impact: many attendees said they wished they had known to bring something from their own culture to share — a sure sign that next year’s turnout will be even stronger.

”In the future, this is absolutely going to become one of our highlight nights of the year,” said Boesch. “I feel it; I know it.”