The United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County has spearheaded an unusual project designed to build community spirit among students at the DuBois Center and Forest Pines Elementary School in Wake Forest, NC. The innovative visual arts project is designed to build a sense of pride among students, to demonstrate multiple groups working together toward a common goal and to begin a common heritage as the center grows toward its renewed purpose. "Cut from the Same Cloth" is an arts education residency featuring Maryland artist Caryl Henry-Alexander.
Dedication of the culminating artwork at the Dubois Center was held March 18. The ceremony moved to Forest Pines Elementary directly after the presentation, where refreshments were served.
In a two-week visual arts residency, the artist is working with all the students at Forest Pines Elementary and students in the after-school program at the DuBois Center to design fabric banners to hang at the school and at the center. Students in grades K through 5 will participate. Completed banners will use character traits to demonstrate the meaning of the theme, "Cut from the Same Cloth" and will hang at the DuBois Center, Forest Pines Elementary and the new permanent school that many of the students will attend later.
Locating a temporary Wake County elementary school on DuBois Center property has been at the forefront of a community conflict for over a year. Parents, administrators and community leaders have been at odds over student assignments, travel times, location, safety and more. The United Arts visual arts residency helps students focus on the things they have common, the common good character of all people and building a sense of community in a place that is new to all of them.