Fifty-five fifth grade students at President Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (Honolulu, Oʻahu) “immersed themselves in the joy of creating drawings and working with clay, fully embracing the artistic process” through the SFCA Artists in the Schools program for school year 2023-2024. According to the interim report by teacher Alston Albarado, “When it was time to leave, students were often reluctant, lingering to perfect their creations or discuss their ideas.”
About the artwork “E Pluribus Unum”
“E Pluribus Unum” in Latin means “out of many, one.” This marble sculpture, which enhances the grounds of Jefferson Elementary School in Kapahulu, depicts many faces representing Hawaiʻi’s multi-cultural, multi-racial population. During the statue’s dedication ceremony, artist Eli Marozzi spoke about his production process, and proclaimed, “We are many, but we can attain oneness.” Sixth grade students then performed dances from England, Israel, the Philippines, Japan, China and Hawaiʻi, carrying out the theme of Hawaiʻi’s multi-ethnic inheritance. Marozzi studied at the University of Washington and the University of Hawaiʻi and exhibited at the Honolulu Academy of Arts (now Honolulu Art Museum), Honolulu Hale, the Contemporary Art Center and the Seattle Art Museum.
About the Artists in the Schools (AITS) program
AITS arts residency grants provide engaging, creative, and fun learning experiences for State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education public and charter schools through residencies with qualified, trained teaching artists from the Artistic Teaching Partners (ATP) Roster. Many of these teaching artists integrate their art form with other core curriculum areas, such as language arts, math, social studies, and science, meeting both Fine Arts and other core standards. Learn more about the AITS program on the SFCA website: SFCA.hawaii.gov/aits.