Shaping Books and Minds During a Pandemic

Shaping Books and Minds During a Pandemic

Thursday, March 18th, 2021

Art teacher at the International School of Beaverton, Sarah Hawks, tasked her students to create a sculpture based on someone important to them. The catch? They must use a book significant to their chosen person as the foundation of the sculpture and transform it, symbolizing an altered mindset.  

Keeping personal and societal topics at the forefront, students also needed to consider how the sculpture would be structurally sound, visible, and interesting – a tall order to say the least. 

Unfortunately, the events of last spring put a brief pause on the assignment, but Ms. Hawks was not about to let school closures and pandemic conditions get in the way of her students’ creative process. That is when she turned to BEF for help providing students with a set of sculpture supplies for home. 

One student explained, “This piece was difficult for me to make and write about. I had to face memories that I had kept locked away for a long, long time. Real tears fell into the pages of my sculpture,” adding, “While I think the craftsmanship is lacking, I know that this piece isn’t just a simple cookie-cutter sculpture, and this is why I am proud of it. Like a real artist, I poured a part of my soul into this piece, and like a real artist, I feel lighter for it.” 

Finished projects addressed powerful, meaningful topics, appealing to the students, while also helping them tap into greater themes of society and politics through their artistic creations. Topics ranged from sexual identity to remembrance of a grandparent and the immigration story of their parent. 

The COVID lockdown took away many things, however it did offer an abundance of time for self-exploration and reflection, leading to complex personal understanding and overall insight. These experiences offer valuable avenues for healing and acceptance, regardless of studio skills.  

Thanks to donors like you, students were able to further their sculpture studies and have a critically important outlet for self-expression during a time when most things in the world were put on hold.  

Support even more students through Beaverton’s Choice today.