Kids prepare peace drawings for Bush

Brianna Farrell

Earlier this year, President Bush visited kids at Laclede Elementary School. Late this spring, first graders made drawings on the subject of peace for the president.

St. Louisan Lloyd Harvey is active in getting kids to create artwork with a world peace theme. He and fellow artist Martha Rose led the art-making project in the Laclede school gym.

A total of 39 first graders took part in the art project.

In addition, two classes of second graders and one special education class observed the hour-long project. The second graders were accompanied by art teacher Joseph Randolph.

Harvey’s peace art usually is made by kids who use recycled materials. This time, they used pieces of recycled canvas, on which the kids drew their ideas about piece.

Jameka Liston

Before the kids started their drawings, Harvey asked them how they would define peace. Among the answers: “Peace means not being violent” and “Peace is an attitude.”

He also asked them to sit quietly and listen to soothing music from a portable sound system. During that time, they thought how to turn their thoughts of peace into art.

Six-year-old Brianna Farrell’s picture of peace involved a drawing of the American flag with people around it. She said peace involves “quiet and non-violence.”

She added, “When I go to a restaurant and I see a flag with people around it, that represents peace to me.”

Six-year-old Cedric Benbow said peace includes “behavior, attitude and sharing.” Also, it means “paying attention in class,” “always telling the truth to the teacher” and “no fighting.”

Ramel Robinson

Classmate Jameka Liston defined peace this way: “If you fall on the ground and one of your friends picks you up, you’ll be happy.”

Seven-year-old Ramel Robinson thinks of peace as “mostly when I’m alone and its quiet.” He said he can feel peaceful with his family “if they’re quiet.”

For his peace artwork, Ramel made a drawing of the sun. He thought of peace as a “sunshiny day with a flag flying,” he said.

Seven-year-old Darius Kimple said he also equates peace as “no violence and all quiet.”

His artwork involved a drawing of two houses, with trees and flowers.

Harvey’s work with the Laclede kids was the last school project under a grant from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. The grant called for all peace work to be created on recyclable materials.

Darius Kimple

Usually, Harvey will select the best art panels and put them together as a wall-hanging or some other art display. He had an example of this type of display on the gym floor in the middle of the students.

Some of his earlier work has been used in traveling peace exhibits. Those exhibits have been showed both in this country and abroad.

But, in the class of the Laclede artwork, he was thinking of putting the panels into a packet and sending it to President Bush. That would be a reminder of his visit to Laclede earlier this year.

Harvey’s “Peace Project” has a slogan, “A celebration of peace and cultural diversity.”

Some of the Laclede kids like to do artwork at home, as well as in school.

Brianna Farrell said she likes to “draw people walking their dogs.”

Jameka Liston said she does “artwork sometimes at home on the weekends.” She likes to trace pictures for the book, “Hello Kitties with their Friends.”

Ramel Robinson’s artwork at home involves drawing runners and other sports people. “I draw the figures and then paint them,” he said.

Darius Kimple said he doesn’t do artwork at home. “I’d rather read,” he said.

Regarding recycling, most of the kids said they didn’t do that at home. However, Ramel Robinson said his family did recycle metal cans.