International Day of Peace ~ September 21, 2005

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, of Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. Groups in over 400 locations throughout the world have committed to spinning pinwheels on September 21st. 

This project is non-political – peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind.  To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: “a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.”

Our middle school students created these beautiful pinwheels to represent “whirled peace.” They wrote their thoughts about "war and peace / tolerance/ living in harmony with others" on one side. On the other side, they drew a design to visually express their feelings. We "planted" our pinwheels on the front lawn of our school as a public statement and art exhibit/installation.