E.J. King’s aspiring artists put brushes to canvas for a mural submission to an art exhibit in Nagasaki.

The “World Port Nagasaki 2024 – Hope of Kids Guernica” is an exhibit themed after a famous Pablo Picasso painting wishing for a world without war. The exhibit runs at the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum from April 9 to 14.

Like Picasso’s “Guernica” mural from 1937, the “Kids’ Guernica” project features murals the same size as Picasso’s (7.8 x 3.5 meters) with themes of hope and peace. Murals are submitted to the project by schools and local communities.

This year, in addition to murals from Nagasaki Prefecture schools and communities and murals from other cities in Japan, E.J. King Middle High School at Sasebo Naval Base will also have its own canvas displayed at the exhibit.

According to Suzanne Sperl, E.J. King’s visual arts teacher, 19 students worked together to create an original piece of art for the exhibit. Stripes Japan talked with Sperl about the exhibit and what it means to the students.

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Q. How many E.J. King Middle and High School students are participating?

A. Nineteen students are participating, and they designed and painted a 7.8m x 3.5m canvas.

Q. How much time did the students dedicate to their submission?

A. Approximately 13.5 hrs. We have been working on it from design conception to layout and painting to finishing touches from Feb 26 – March 21.

Q. What was the inspiration behind your instruction and the themes the students explored in their work?

A. Finding ways to share our students’ work outside the classroom walls is so meaningful and to do so where we can share it with our host nation community and participate in an exhibition is rewarding. Our students were inspired by the opportunity. The theme behind the mural was their imagination of what peace and the future looks like to them. They had many strong ideas about how that theme may bridge our cultures.

The selected mural design was created by Maggie McDonald, Eileen McKown and Angela Mack.

“The inspiration behind this piece was to show people that peace to us is when we feel safe in the community we are in, no matter who and what we are. It is when everyone is free to be who they are, we are truly at peace. Throughout this process, we learned that every student had their own ideas about the mural as it may be seen to relate to the God of wisdom and an all-around peace sign that resembles for religions and science, the Pax Cultura emblem, which defines an eternity of tranquility amongst all.” – Eileen McKown

Q. How do the students feel about having their work on display in a museum?

A. Our students are excited. We had a study trip to this museum planned anyway and were able to arrange it to meet a date when the exhibition is up. So, they will be able to see their final mural hung among the others who participated, and this will make for a great discussion of how the theme was interpreted by us all. 

Q. Any other comments you’d like to add?

A. These students did a fantastic job taking on this challenge. They worked together and supported one another along the way and sought out feasible solutions when hiccups arose. When they reflected on the experience, many noted how they worked together to support one another and came together as a team. We developed a real sense of community within this class from this project.

World Port Nagasaki 2024 – Hope of Kids Guernica

Location: Nagasaki Museum of Art (2-1 Dejima Town, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture; a 70-minute drive from Sasebo Naval Base)

Date: April 9 – 14, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Admission: Free

URL

Tel: 080-9247-2921 (NPO conpeito)

Sasebo Naval Base