In today’s world, peace needs to become more than just a word. On September 21, Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic School in Brentwood, Missouri, took part in an international art and literacy project, Pinwheels for Peace, by “planting” pinwheels with messages of peace at Manchester and Brentwood.
Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 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. In the first year, groups in over 1,325 locations throughout the world were spinning pinwheels on September 21st — there were approximately 500,000 pinwheels spinning throughout the world. Last year (year 10), 2015, over 4.5 million pinwheels were spinning in over 3,500 locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and South America. Locally, Miss Audrey Corby, our art teacher, coordinated the Pinwheels for Peace project this year.
This project is non-political — peace doesn’t necessarily have to be 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.”
Saint Mary Magdalen Kindergarten through 8th Grade students created pinwheels. 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 made illustrations, to visually express their feelings. The students assembled these pinwheels and on International Day of Peace they “planted” their pinwheels as a public statement and art exhibit/installation. Keep a lookout for the pinwheels – the spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the country and the world!
My family lives in the Tiles Park neighborhood (Hampton & Fyler) and things like this make me very happy and proud to have my son go to St. Mary Magdalen. It was the best decision of our life!! Thanks to all the faculty, staff, and volunteers who make projects like this possible!!