Wingra School is getting set to unveil new artwork created by a local Black artist and Wingra School students that expresses community and their unique identities.
Students at Wingra School, an independent progressive school serving students between 5-14 years old, will debut the new piece of art on Friday, Aug. 23. The artwork will showcase silhouettes of the school’s around 150 students filled with things that make up their own unique identity. The project was envisioned and created by local Black artist Desere Mayo who helped guide the students through the project to bring the art together to stress the importance of community and identity.
“We’ve been really trying to build a culture of belonging,” said Torsie Judkins, head of school at Wingra School. “We said, ‘What kind of art project can we do with the local artists that incorporate all of our students to have everyone involved?’”
Wingra tapped Mayo to bring the project together. Mayo capitalized on how to incorporate all the students together through. She looked at the racial and ethnic separation from communities all over but absent from children who just want to know whether “Will you play with me?” she said.
“I like to unite things. I like to bring things together. I felt like in order for you to feel like you belong, it has to do with something that has to do with your identity,” Mayo said.
Students had their pictures taken to make a silhouette. She encouraged students to fill in the spaces with their outlines with things that make up their identity.
While Mayo notes that some students had trouble getting the idea, she encouraged students with questions like, “Do you like makeup?” The questions sparked student’s ideas and allowed them to realize how to express their identities in the artwork.
Student’s work culminated throughout the year and was put together on a banner that will hang in the school. The piece reads “WE BELONG” made up of students’ filled silhouettes in a mix of color and black and white; underneath it says “We are better together at Wingra.”
“This is an important kind of community announcement of who we are and what we’re trying to do,” Judkins said. “I want to continue to let the community know, and hopefully more people will come to visit Wingra and we can truly become a more diverse school.”
The artwork will be unveiled at Wingra School, 718 Gilmore St., on Friday, Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.
