INTERNATIONAL ART EXCHANGE IN ST. JOHNS

 

For fifteen years there has been an exchange of artwork created by elementary and middle school students in Konan-Shi, Japan and St. Johns, Michigan; this is an outgrowth of the Friendship City relationship that St. Johns and Konan established in 1994. Konan is in Shiga Prefecture (similar to a state) in Japan, and a sister state relationship between Michigan and Shiga was established in 1968 under Governor Romney. Through the sister state relationship, 17 sister city/friendship city relationships have been created, and many students, teachers, officials and general citizens have enjoyed traveling between Shiga and Michigan.

About 200 pieces of artwork from the two school districts have been displayed in the late winter each year in Briggs Public Library, St. Johns. After the exhibit is taken down, it is sent to Konan for display in their public library. The pictures done by students in Michigan and Shiga, half a world away from each other, often depict cultural aspects of their country, by showing children at play, fireworks, typical outdoor scenes, and sometimes a few written words.

The opening reception held at Briggs has been enhanced for a number of years by having a group of elementary students from a couple of schools in the district singing traditional Japanese folk songs. Ms. Shirley Anne Ries, vocal music teacher for St. Johns Public Schools, directs the choir, including having the students play some musical instruments and sometimes perform a simple dance.  Their singing is so beautiful and the Japanese words are pronounced so well, that Japanese visitors find it very moving to attend, especially when the students sing the Biwako Song, which is about beautiful Lake Biwa, which Shiga surrounds.

The student artists come from the six public elementary schools, St. Joseph School, the St. Johns Middle School, and students from similar schools in Konan. Art teachers Ms. Brearly, Ms. Den Herder and Mr. Fromson select work from the students to be in this exhibit. The students in St. Johns express justifiable pride that their artwork is traveling to Japan.

This art exchange is made possible through a collaboration of the St. Johns-Konan Friendship Society, Briggs Public Library, St. Johns Public Schools, Konan-Shi Schools, the Clinton County Arts Council and the City of St. Johns. Students from the Ovid-Elsie High School National Art Honor Society spent several hours on a Saturday in February, helping hang the art in 2011. It is hoped that they and the St. Johns National Art Society will give similar assistance in the future.

These photos show the exhibit in the public library in Konan of the pictures by elementary and middle school students from St. Johns and Konan. The pictures are exhibited in St. Johns each year in the late winter. In 2011, the exhibit was during the month of March.

         

           

 

Some additional links: 

http://mishigan.blogspot.com/2011/03/15th-annual-art-exhibit.html [2011 pictures & opening reception]
 
http://mishigan.blogspot.com/2010/03/art-exchange-14th-annual-for-st-johns.html  [2010 pictures & opening reception]
 
http://mishigan.blogspot.com/2009/02/annual-art-exchange-through-feb-28.html [2009 pictures & opening reception]