In all of our art classes this week, students have been making "Houses for Haiti."
The houses are part of an art project/fundraiser in response to the recent earthquakes in Haiti. All of the proceeds from the sales of our Houses for Haiti will be donated to AmeriCares, an organization that is providing emergency relief to the people of Haiti. (Update: So far, we've raised over $1,000 -- in two weeks!)
We first looked at some examples of Haitian Voudou flags for inspiration. The students "oohed and aahed" over the the elaborately sequined banners, noting the bold colors, patterns, and symbols used by the artists.
We then talked about the ways that artists can respond to tragedy and the ways art can be used to help people. One fourth grader said to me, "I hope the people of Haiti get their houses back." Clearly, a connection had been made between the houses that were lost and the houses that were created.
We got the idea for the project from the website www.haitihouses.org. It's become a national phenomenon! Nationwide, schools have raised over $82,000 for Haitian earthquake relief.
