Saturday, September 25, 2010

VADA, Pasadena High School

The Visual Arts and Design Academy is an amazing program in the Pasadena Unified School District. The students who attend are some of the most talented students in the district area. We've been fortunate to partner with them in a variety of areas.
One of the ways we have worked together has been on their entry for the parade & jamaica. The year we highlighted the 1890s they had material focused on the move from agricultural to urbanized living. This year connecting with our theme "Our America" they began focused on Latino Culture, since it is a Latino focused event, and then went on to share something of their own culture or heritage. There will be 5 banners each about 12 feet in length.
If you look at the banner closely you can see where they are in sharing the multiple heritages that are part of the students background. The images chosen come from the research that is required of the students before they work on the project.

The purple fish is a koi, the warm colored creature farthest from camera is a bird, and the image closest to camera is Stonehenge. The idea that culture can be informative and valued has gone beyond a sort of mini-tourism to being meaningful. Appreciating one's own culture or heritage, often allows you to appreciate and value other cultures. That in itself can be one of the best qualities of our shared America.

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