A Schoolwide Art Project
Please join us for The Shades of Us, a schoolwide project presented by students and staff of Leland Public School. The project is inspired by the work of Angélica Dass, who created a photography project called Humanae. Her photography challenges how we think about skin color and ethnic identity.
Leland students and staff joined in the pursuit to document humanity's true colors rather than the untrue white, red, black and yellow typically associated with race. When mixing acrylic paints, students and staff discussed the fact that we all use the same colors, just different amounts to make it match our own skin. This highlights that we are much more the same than different, while all being unique. Each grade level is connecting the process and topic to lessons and books in different ways. Students from Leelanau Children's Center will be contributing work to the exhibit as well. To learn more about the art and work of Angélica Dass, please see below.
Thank you to Kristy Fisher, LPS kindergarten teacher, for spearheading this project. Special thanks to Lani Hoenscheid-Smith, LPS Art teacher, for her work with the students and her dedication to this project! Thank you to Shugart Builders for helping to sponsor this project for LPS students.
An opening reception is planned for Friday, April 8, from 4 - 6pm, with remarks taking place at 5pm. The exhibit will run through Sunday, April 24. Join us to celebrate the variety of people in our area and to foster a conversation about the beauty of diversity.
Shades of Us is free and open to the public.
Who is Angélica Dass?
Angélica Dass is an award-winning photographer born in Brazil and based in Spain. Her practice combines photography with sociological research and public participation in global defense of human rights. She is the creator of the internationally acclaimed Humanae project—a collection of portraits that reveal the diverse beauty of humanity. Her work is internationally acclaimed, becoming a tool for social change, promoting dialogue and challenging cultural prejudices.
Angelica Dass' photography finds a great universe of work in the classroom. With her workshops for children, adults and educators, Angelica expands the educational and social message of her projects. Thanks to numerous collaborations with teachers, associations and institutions around the world, people of all ages have worked on complex social issues such as racism and diversity in a way that is both playful and profound, becoming seeds of change. Each workshop inspired by Angelica's photographic projects becomes a celebration of identity and diversity, where play and reflection allow empathy and co-responsibility to be worked on, creating proactive citizens.
Read more about Angelica Dass here.
