Ojai Valley School art students are projecting their beliefs and taking strides toward activism through a new medium.
There is a fine line between education and activism, but as social issues have come to the forefront of our lives, that line has faded causing the two to often end up intertwined.
Chia Hersk, the Ojai Valley School art teacher, created a project that incorporates issues students are passionate about into a project where they create posters to show what diversity means to them.
“Different students will interpret it in different ways, and it’s really important to see the way different people choose to interpret the idea of diversity,” said sophomore India Getty-Pruss. This points out the free reign of the project, allowing students to express their ideas of diversity without any restraint.
India decided to go with a more unique project, cutting out hearts and incorporating different aspects of what diversity means to her. She included topics like mental health, LGBTQ+ pride, Black Lives Matter, and community.
“Diversity is a pretty complex thing with a lot of parts,” India said, describing what she wanted to portray with her project. “To understand diversity, you have to understand and appreciate all those different parts, and that’s what I was trying to show.”
Senior Sydnee Rousseau conveyed the importance of social issues into school work, art in particular.
“I think it is really important to incorporate real-world issues, especially into art because it gives you a really interesting opportunity to study the subject in a different and creative way,” she explained.
This project is part of a larger diversity and inclusivity campaign. Starting with the appointaion of a Diversity and Inclusion Liaison, Ojai Valley School is pushing to become a place where voices can be heard and opinions can be expressed.
There are several members of the OjaI Valley School community that are passionate about social justice issues. Projects like this encourage students to mix issues they feel strongly about and school work. This inspires education on important issues students are passionate about.
“Students need to understand that the more they are educated about the world, the better they will understand it and make decisions that are for the betterment of society,” Ms. Hersk said. “We are all related and the more we understand this the more we will have compassion for others regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality etc.”
The posters are on view in the cafeteria for all to see as they go through the lunch line, and they all have a variety of different meanings to different people, further demonstrating the beauty and importance of the project.
“I think diversity is about showing all the different things we represent as people,” said India.