Monday, July 10, 2023 - Friday, July 21, 2023

Art

Through our two weeks of programming, students dove into the forms of mural, tableau, dance, written response, deep listening, drawing, and sculpture. They used each medium they explored to connect with their environment. RH Doaz designed a mural and lead students through a painting workshop to display that connection with the environment permanently and proudly across the SPMS courtyard. Kelli and Mandy from Rock Dance taught students how to visualize gifts from the environment through dance. Our teaching artists Jasmine Carmichael and Johnny Kavanagh challenged students to create their multi-media final art project in the shapes of several impactful species from the South Plainfield area. Then, students gave a final presentation of their projects in the final sharing linked below. 

Advocacy

“At One with Our Environment” was the advocacy theme throughout the program. Our teaching artists lead conversations and artistic reflections to help students identify their relationships to different aspects of our environment. Environmentalists Heather Fenyk and Alice Tempel came in to talk to the students about how they commit to the environment through their work with the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership (LRWP). With the wonderful knowledge of Heather and Alice students began to recognize ways the environment needs our support. In their final multi media sculpture project students chose the shape of an impactful species from the South Plainfield area to share some of the ways we can do more for the environment that does so much for us. 

Community

Students started the program by reflecting on their relationship with the environment and the land in the South Plainfield community. They spent time outside to observe nature and committed to that relationship with the mural that will connect students of SPMS to the environment for years to come. From teaching artists and guests they learned about the environmental needs within the wider Central Jersey community. They are now able to think up ways to enact support for our environment and encourage others in their community to do so as well.