SASD students' work to be part of One Million Bones Project on the mall in Washington, D.C.
Art as activism has been a central theme among artists throughout history. When Mrs. Sarah Maclay, art teacher at SASHS and Grace B. Luhrs, heard about the One Million Bones Project, she was sure that she wanted to be a part of the historic event. The One Million Bones Project, an activist project on an international scale, was organized to draw attention to genocide and mass atrocities committed in areas like Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This project of enormous scale involves the creation of one million handmade bones which will be displayed on the mall in Washington, D.C. from June 8-10, 2013. Schools and individuals created bones which were shipped to the organizers for placement in the National Mall installation; each bone results in a $1 donation by the Bezos Family Foundation. Individuals could also pledge $5 to have a biodegradable bone made and placed in the installation. Money collected benefits CARE, an international aid organization, and ENOUGH, an anti-genocide project.
Mrs. Maclay received a grant for the project from the Shippensburg Area School District Foundation. The grant was used to pay for materials and shipping, and to fund a one-day artist-in-residence demonstration of raku firing techniques by Quiet Times Pottery. Volunteers from elementary school through high school made bones for the project which have been shipped to Washington for inclusion in the exhibition.
Photo by SASHS Art Department