My piece is the representation of nationality. The girl in the drawing is supposed to represent
myself, with the flags stitched together to represent my identity. I have a hispanic background and I have always been proud of that, but sometimes I feel like I do not belong in that community. I am a second generation Argentine-Colombian, but I have never been to these countries, my Spanish is not very good, and I barely know my extended family. The “denied” stamp represents disapproval, the unacceptance in the community. The 15th article states that everyone has the right to nationality and that no one should take that away from them, but how can I feel a sense of belonging when it always felt like it was never mine to begin with.
My piece was inspired by Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which stated "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." The hands represent the loss of brotherhood in society we have forced ourselves to reach for. We are so close to each other; but the loss of things like morals and values have us pulled too far away to be connected. The symbols connected to the chains that are on each hand are the Celtic symbols for friendship and strength. These are the two things we have lost over time, unable to be connected again with our lack of effort. The chains being in each hand represent how unfree these needs are due to us holding it back because of our materialistic society.
Walking into the library this past month, a collection of art immediately catches the eye. These artworks were created by 35 MWHS Senior Art Majors as part of a wider collection called “An Artist’s Response to Human Rights”.
Sponsored annually by the Orange County Human Rights Commission, high schools across the county are challenged to create artistic interpretations of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Each student chooses one of 30 articles to represent through mediums ranging from paint to pastel to sculpture, and students wrote a short explanation of their art’s connection to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
MWHS has participated in this event for over a decade. This year’s art was on display in SUNY Orange’s Orange Hall Gallery and the MWCSD Education Center alongside the library.
