Blog Post from Beth Burkhauser and the Interdependence Hexagon Project

The Hexagon Project is an international visual arts initiative.  Our mission is to spread the idea of Interdependence through student- and community-created hexagons. The hexagon is the metaphor for interconnectedness and, since our founding in 2016, over 10,000  artworks have been made worldwide. We are launching our 2020 project in October, our 14^th year!. Themes of social justice, peace, global citizenship,  cultural diversity, identity, and environment are expressed through the power of the arts.

Our 2019 Theme was Transforming Conflict and our Eastern Regional Exhibition [PA, NY, NJ, DE, MA CT] opens in Scranton, PA on September 6 and runs through the month. 

The Project is free, WEBSITE [www.hexagonproject.org] offers free resources, templates, lesson and unit plans, worksheets, video, and PowerPoints to introduce the Project.  Open to all ages, all media, ripe for strategies such as Choice, Integrated Curriculum, TAB and 21^st Century skills, align with Next Gen Arts Standards. Teachers join and then upload artworks.  2020 DEADLINE: June 30, 2020. 

NEW:  we have a searchable Online Gallery where all hexagons can be viewed and a Blog-space which will feature global teachers’ stories about how, why and where hexagons are made plus opportunities to connect with others. 

WANTED:  participants for our 2020 Project and 2020 Project SPECIAL THEME:  DIVERSITY. Brainstorm ways to think diversity!  Could we today see the challenges of inclusion and acceptance of difference as the challenge of a process of transformation?  Fertile ground for a shift of mindset with the infusion of new ideas attitudes and focus that results in outcomes that can transform our future on this planet. 

OR…

Perhaps consider DIVERSITY as a self-selected problem-solving design thinking process that resembles an alchemical transformation – as in the medieval attempts to convert base metals into gold. 

Fertile ground for a shift of mindset with the infusion of new ideas attitudes and focus that results in outcomes that can transform our future on this planet.  Students envision this process using hexagons and share it with the world…

DIVERSITY can also refer to diverse learning styles, cultural diversity of art, music, dance, food, etc, Fusion. Bio-Diversity of plant and animal life as well as human and technological diversity – using the multitude of available and developing tools for good.

Here are some resources for you:

https://www.tolerance.org/topics/race-ethnicity

Resources about living in a diverse world.

Some sections of resources on diversity from Vanderbilt University 

Lastly: This Hexagon Flying Pencil came from Kingdom Kids International School, Nigeria [Olaniyi Sunday Olaniran, Art Teacher]!  It is meant to travel and house hexagons! In 2019 it took a beautiful metaphorical journey from Nigeria to Howard Gardner School, Scranton [Melissa Cruise, Art Teacher] to Stephen Girard College, Philadelphia, PA [Christine Enedy, Art Teacher] and we are looking for other venues for 2020! Contact the author if interested.

Beth Burkhauser is Adjunct Professor, Keystone College Art Education.

She is a 35-year veteran art educator in Pennsylvania Public Schools and
Founder of the non-profit, Interdependence Hexagon Project.

She was named 2016 NAEA Educator Emerita and is a

PAEA Fellow
Contact: www.hexagonproject.org
bburkhauser@msn.com
570 877-1653