These are pictures from the completion of the Natchaug Mural Project. This project was led by our own Carlos A Rivera, Natchaug students, and Dr. Joanne Tawfilis who is a United Nations Commissioner of the Arts. Dr. Tawfilis has led the creation of over 6000 murals around the world. She came to Willimantic all the way from Oceanside California to spend last week here to finish this mural project with Natchaug students that now includes a beautiful sun shining on North, Central, and South America. This project is important because it highlights many of the countries our families and students come from.
Mr. Jones
As most people know about my habits over the years of writing short essays or stories about what touches my heart, Natchaug is the latest episode of wonderful and abundant passion that rose from my heart and soul. It all happened when early one morning as I stood in the “teacher’s room” looking out upon “the world and the mandala”, one of the boys that had painted on the Mexico section ran from the entry gate to the image and was yelling “Mexico! Mexico, Mexico” … “my country ! my country! And as his feet landed on the bright red image, and in one movement, bent over and kissed the ground. My heart skipped a beat and tears rose in my eyes as I could feel what all new Americans feel when they experience coming to America or for us elders, knowing that each of us in this country ALL descended from another country once occupied by the Indigenous People or First People, and for those who feel it, understand the pride we have in our birth culture that has or will meld into what is “America”.
And so, 2500 miles by 35 miles to Mexico at Natchaug Elementary School was truly a social emotional educational learning experience for that young boy and a refresher for me, of my own remembrance that I am a first generation American born from my own blending of parents from two different continents and as those miles between our countries fade, each of us can feel and carry that love of our birth cultures throughout our lives and make America even more rich from the diversity we bring. Natchaug honored the representation of their student body and staff from Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and many South American countries as well as Spain, Italy, Afghanistan and Syria. Thank you for a most pleasurable social emotional lesson about life and to the children and staff who participated in this amazing opportunity in bringing together through mural art in support in a much needed “Culture of Peace”.
by Joanne Tawfilis, PhD, Fine Arts