School Art Works for Harmony Day

Ayr State High School, Burdekin, Qld

On 19th March 2009, Ayr State High School celebrated Harmony Day with the main focus being the creation of a ‘Harmony Wall of Hands’ in the school grounds.

A 12m x 4m wall on the school Resource Centre was painted white. Students and staff then painted their hands in the colours of their choice and put their handprint and name on the wall. A local sign writer then finished the wall, adding the orange borders and wording. A manual arts teacher, students and groundsmen will add a garden of orange flowering plants along the front of the wall.

All 550 students and staff participated to celebrate the cultural diversity of Ayr State High and to create a permanent reminder that ‘everyone belongs’.

Glencoe Primary, Halls Head, WA

We worked in groups of four to create our posters to demonstrate TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More). We looked at the Harmony Day poster and team leaders led a talk about different skin colours to reflect racial groups all belonging.

We used collage with coloured paper. The lines show that everyone wants a safe home in Australia. We used Harmony Day stickers to put the slogan ‘Everyone Belongs’ onto our work.

Maryborough State High School, Maryborough, Qld

Whitney Ballinger is a Year 11 student participating in an Art certificate II subject at Maryborough State High School. She produced this artwork in addition to her course work, using lead pencil, paint and collage techniques.

St Patrick’s College, Townsville, Qld

School Leader Tamika Shipton and her Multicultural Committee, with the help of college Art Department staff, created a beautiful Harmony Day banner. The banner reflects the multicultural dynamic at St Patrick’s College. The figures and handprints combine with the colours to represent harmony and unity in diversity. The banner (1m x 4m) is made with calico, acrylic and spray paint. The banner remains on show in the library as a reminder that ‘we all belong’!