LunART Mobilizes Middleton Students Through Art-Based Activism

LunART, Inc. and the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District have announced a "pop-up" art exhibit on Friday, May 21, 5-7pm, featuring artwork and writing by 5th grade students. The in-person event is open to the public, and will take place at Fireman's Park Pavilion (7400 Lee Street, Middleton, WI), as a culminating celebration of the art-based activism project Students Against Hate United By Love. This spring LunART presented the pilot educational program for students virtually enrolled at Kromrey and Glacier Creek Middle Schools. Adhering to COVID-19 protocols, masks and social distancing are required for this event, with hand sanitizer available onsite. In case of inclement weather, the exhibit will be held at the Kromrey Middle School Field House (7009 Donna Drive, Middleton, WI).

This youth-centered project stemmed from Women Against Hate United By Love, an exhibit created by Madison artist and activist Kelly Parks Snider, whose work was featured at the 2018 and 2019 LunART Festivals. Parks Snider developed an interdisciplinary art-based curriculum, inspiring young leaders to initiate positive change through art.

Throughout April and May of 2021, Kromrey and Glacier Creek Middle School 5th graders participated in a series of weekly workshops which explored the intertwining roles of art and activism, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Students used their artistic voices to shout out loud about love, delving into themes of justice, human rights, and racial justice through poetry, storytelling, and visual art.

Parks Snider guided students in the creation of a self-portrait using painting and print-making techniques. Guest poets Fabu Phillis Carter (Madison poet laureate) and Jamie Dawson, who were featured in LunART's HUMAN FAMILY 2020 Virtual Festival, challenged students to tap into the power of their own words. Students were empowered to own their personal identities and advocate for causes closest to their hearts.

Art can transform the way we think and the way we see our world. I think it has something to do with the brief stillness that we experience when we look at art. Being with yourself for that brief moment allows you to attend to the thoughts that you feel in spite of the chaos that surrounds us. Our hope is that through youth-based art programming and conversations, we create an opportunity for young people to focus with a greater sense of openness, truth and justice. -Kelly Parks Snider

The Students Against Hate United By Love project is supported by Dane Arts and Thrivent. LunART, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the mission of supporting, inspiring, promoting, and celebrating women's creativity in the arts. To learn more about this program, along with other creative initiatives, visit lunartfestival.org.