Elevating Peace: Inspiring Art and Conversations from Copper Country Children
Photo provided by Nadija Packauskas.
Since becoming International Cities of Peace in 2021, Keweenaw Faiths United is excited to celebrate the International Day of Peace every year. Last September, we had a celebration at the Peace Poles at the Hancock Labyrinth and Bridgeview Park in Houghton. In the pouring rain, we sang and heard a message; it was beautiful. Afterward, we decided to try an inside venue for 2023.
This summer, children all over the Copper Country have been thinking about peace, and what it means. Volunteers have gone to some of the Great Explorations summer programs that are run by BHK Head Start for children who need care during the summer, as well as various faith communities, and even the Art in the Park in Copper Harbor, and presented a lesson developed by Keweenaw CAPE, to hear stories and poems, and explore what peace means to them, and how they find it in their lives.
At one event, I volunteered with two local friends who were experienced ambassadors of peace through meditation classes, and Nadija Packauskas, famous for leading the Yoopers for Ukraine peace movement. The children learned about what it feels like to live in a country at war, and we talked about what helps us feel safe. The children had so much to share, but we still had plenty of time for the art project.
After the discussion, the children were given paper, crayons and markers, to draw what peace meant to them. This part was so interesting and so variable. Some children drew pictures of what makes them happy, like a snazzy car. There were pictures of happy families, fishing with Dad, and a safe house, often a picture of a sleeping child in a bed. There were lots of rainbows and flower gardens. Some of the children wanted to take their pictures home, but several were adamant that they wanted their pictures on display at the art center because they wanted the world to see what peace meant to them.
Photo provided by Nadija Packauskas.
“Exploring expression through art and giving kids a voice! How fabulous to give value to soul like that!” exclaimed Nadija.
On August 17, I visited Trinity Episcopal where Rev. Sarah Diener-Schlitt holds a free community meal and open maker space each third Thursday of the month. For August, she offered an Art for Peace exploration with the meal, open to the community. After sharing pizza, we did a small tour of the sanctuary.
This is a Gothic Revival-style church, designed by John Sutcliffe to replace the wooden structure in 1910. In 1986, it received designation as a Michigan State Historic Site. The stained glass windows, the hand-carved wooden frescoes, latticework and statues, and the essential structure of the room all come together to create a space, where I could imagine just sitting in awe of the sacred.
After the tour, Rev. Sarah led us to a child-size sitting room and led a good conversation with the children about peace and how that felt. Whales, rainbows, frogs and families...always families, brought feelings of peace and serenity to this group. This time, some of the “children at heart” also got to draw, and their pictures will also be displayed in the show.
Nadija took the project to Art in the Park, the Art Fair in Copper Harbor. Yoopers for Ukraine had a booth at Art in the Park in Copper Harbor dedicated to The Art for Peace project. Many children participated with their parents, who read them books and poems and had meaningful family conversations about peace. One parent commented that the night before, they had a very large discussion about how to offset nightmares in the night with happy thoughts and that the opportunity to participate in this project gave their child the expansion of "How to stop nightmares in the world through Peace." Needless to say, his drawing was quite colorful and filled with joy! He, a four-year-old, was quite pleased with his creation and very happy to share his thoughts on Peace.
Photo by Miriam Pickens.
All of the participants were grateful for the moment of clarity. The kids were very excited to have their pictures added to the collection for the September 21 display but even more excited that their pictures will be sent around the globe, many to Ukraine, to add a moment of peace to someone else's life!
Yoopers for Ukraine has been honored to be part of this project and continues to have Art for Peace opportunities at their events, especially on August 27 at the joint Ukraine Independence Day Picnic. This project mirrored perfectly with celebrating the opening of a new school that Yoopers for Ukraine and the good people of the Keweenaw helped rebuild in Ukraine. The school will open on September 1 in Chernihiv. To have children know that their efforts on this side of the world will bring a moment of joy and connectivity to a child on the other side of the world is the foundation of teaching how to live a life of peace and teaching the most important lesson that we are not here alone and that humanity is always connected.
In conjunction with this project, the Well Read Raccoon in Houghton has an art display of hand-drawn pictures from children in Ukraine depicting their lives and their cries for hope and peace. Children can stop in and participate in the Art for Peace project while seeing art from Ukraine.
If I learned anything from this whole experience, it is that peace is really important to Copper Country children. They think about peace and violence and seek out ways to create peaceful spaces in their lives. Sometimes it’s about rainbows and flowers, but more often it’s about fishing with Dad, sharing close quiet moments, and feeling protected. And given the challenge, they will stretch to talk about peace on a large scale. One enlightened 7-year-old, deep in conversation about Star Wars and the idea of intergalactic peace, stated "Honestly, there can't be real peace until everyone is at peace." This statement warranted a very proud hug from his dad. I am grateful that I got to have this experience with the children and dedicated community leaders.
On Sept. 21, 6-7:30 p.m., led by leaders of the Copper Country Faith Community, we will have a celebration of the International Day of Peace at the Copper Country CommunityArts Center (CCCAC) in Hancock. Over a hundred pictures will be on display in the Youth Gallery, and there will be music and child-friendly snacks. Some of the children really want their drawings back, but most of them will then be sent to Ukraine to show the children facing war that peace is something that children around the world are thinking about.
