The family walked quickly towards The Dorset School (TDS) on a brisk winter day. “Mom, I can’t wait for you to see the art,” said her son. “It’s really cool.”

An understatement.

For one morning, The Dorset School’s Art Fest transformed the school’s gymnasium into an art gallery and creative learning space. Kaleidoscopic paintings, drawings, sculptures and pottery by young Dorset artists from all grades filled the room. Group discussions on how and why people move around the globe engaged the students. Children clustered in groups of four or five to collaborate on an art project with a thoughtful twist: In a few hours their creation — a collage of color and comments — took over one wall.

But Art Fest was much more than a chance to display the students’ creative work.

“The festival allows the students to appreciate the wide role of art in education,” says TDS art instructor, David Paarlberg-Kvam. “When we combine art in the study of humanities, for example, the learning becomes more hands-on, fun, and meaningful. This year our theme for the Fest was migration and how people move here, there, and everywhere - both today and in the past.”

After the parents filed out and the school day began, combinations of grades rotated through the gymnasium throughout the morning: Fifth graders with kindergarteners, for example, led off. The blending of older with younger students was by design to encourage mentoring, collaboration, and a sense of school community.

Exhibits by middle school students explored ancient nomadic civilizations of Asia. A six-foot camel crafted from pieces of wood, chicken wire, paper-mache, and alpaca hair donated by a TDS teacher immediately was a show-stopper. Posters and sculptures showed how people survived by migrating with the animals. Using bones for sleds and tools, hides for shelter, and meat for food.

Third graders showcased a display illustrating why people migrate in today’s world. A hand-made globe was suspended from a basketball rim surrounded by wires decorated with colorful paper airplanes. A subtle reminder of how travel has changed over time.

The globe was orbited by colorful placards showcasing facts from selected countries: Germany, Japan, Italy, Vietnam, Mexico, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. The students created maps and illustrated reasons why people might be encouraged to move: disasters like earthquakes, the search for better job opportunities, and the need to escape the horrors of war.

With each rotation of students through the morning, the third graders helped lead discussions on why people migrate. Not only the reasons to move, but the barriers that stand in the way. Students then participated in a type of flash art project where they quickly decorated plate-sized paper cutouts of people linked in a circle. They were then asked to write answers for two thought questions:

If people came from another country to Dorset, what would you give them or tell them to do?

“Respect and kindness”

“Hike and swim in the quarry”

“Visit our school”

If you went to another country or state, where would you go and what would you do?

“Paris to see the Mona Lisa and Eiffel Tower and then eat croissants”

“Greece to see statues of Greek Gods”

“Sweden and visit the first IKEA”

Once done, the circles and responses were posted prominently on the gymnasium wall. Over 120 responses completed the display.

The Dorset Art Fest was over by noon, but not forgotten. Most of the works will move on to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, as part of the Art From the Schools Exhibit which runs through Sunday, April, 23rd.

The Dorset camel, unfortunately, may not make the journey. “He’s too big to fit in my car,” admitted Paarlberg-Kvam. “I thought we might just have to throw it away or maybe even break-up like a piñata. But the kids vetoed that idea. They have become too attached. For now, the camel stays with us, although there is a movement to find a trailer that could provide transport. Stay tuned.”

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