Exploring world cultures through hands-on art projects at the Gentex Children’s Fiesta at the International Festival of Holland
We were so grateful to be invited back to the International Festival of Holland this year; what a joy to be gathered again in person to celebrate our diverse and creative community!
This year we explored patterns and art forms from Ghana, Tibet, ancient Sumeria, and China. We loved being part of the Gentex Children’s Festival in the Market View Room, where we could create art while surrounded by talented artists from around the world who call West Michigan home.
Participants experimented with textile printing using Adinkra stamps, crafted from dried calabash gourds. Developed by the Ashanti people, Adinkra cloths were traditionally made for royalty to wear at religious ceremonies. Through the years, people have also decorated the cloths to tell a story or to express their thoughts or feelings. Adinkra symbols have been used in Ghana on clothes, walls, pottery, and as logos since the early 1800’s, during the reign of King Adinkra.
Kids loved using ceramic markers and paints to mimic designs found in traditional blue & white Chinese porcelain. This type of decoration first became widely used in Chinese porcelain in the 14th century, after the blue cobalt pigment began to be imported from Persia. It was widely exported, and it inspired imitative wares in Islamic, Japanese, and later European pottery, such as the dutch delftware you often see around Holland.
Kids also experimented with sand mandalas and created geometric tessellations with paper, inspired by Sumerian tile work.
We’re so grateful for all the volunteers who helped make this day possible – thank you! And many thanks to the City Of Holland for organizing the festival, and to the sponsors like Gentex Corporation who supported it.
