Warsaw Middle School's 8th grade students were called on to design, create, and present an artistic piece connected to a basic human right we felt the need to share with the world. Our creations were visual art pieces, music compositions, creative writing, and digital videos.
First, we explored the 30 basic human rights as explained by The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document was accepted by the 3rd general assembly of the United Nations just after the end of World War II in 1948. Students were charged with the task of studying our chosen human right and understanding its complexities, including finding current events that show the right being denied or infringed upon in the U.S. or around the world. Throughout the course of this project students met with expert artist and social activist Robert Shetterly. We went to The Holocaust and Human Rights Center in Augusta and The Portland Museum of Art to complete fieldwork by exploring pieces connected to justice. We also explored multiple case studies in class to see how other artists have made a difference with their art in the recent past. As we worked through this project we were guided and supported by the mission and educational design of The Samantha Smith Challenge.
This project was not without its complications and difficulties. Any time a human right is being denied, emotions run high and conflict may arise. Before these us was a large task! We were asked to convince our viewers that this issue matters. What to do about human rights concerns is not an easy question to answer. There is no “quick fix” to the problems we encountered in our research. However, spreading knowledge about the issues we feel passionate about is a great place to start.
In order to successfully complete this mission, all participants in “You Be the Judge: Justice Through Art” must answer these four questions:
Danish Installation Artist, Olafur Eliasson said, “The arts have the incredible potential for expanding interconnectedness, for reaching people, for touching them, and increasing empathy and compassion in the world.” This is our mission-- to increase empathy and compassion in our community.
Please visit the Student Art Work Pages organized by human rights to see our work. Thank you!