Students blend art, tolerance

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By Mary Louise Speer | Friday, July 29, 2005 12:43 AM CDT | () comments

Jeff Cook/QUAD-CITY TIMES Davenport North High School senior Pantelis Korovilas holds artwork he made for the Beyond Anne Frank student art exhibit at Quad-City Arts Center Gallery in Rock Island.

Art and history are blended in an exhibit of students' artistic images on the meaning of tolerance now on display at Quad-City Arts in Rock Island.

The Beyond Anne Frank Student Art Exhibition was coordinated by the Putnam Museum, Davenport.

Seventeen schools from Iowa and Illinois participated, including a home school group, and 45 pieces of art were submitted, said Donna Murray, director of education at the Putnam.

The exhibition appeared at the Putnam Museum before coming to Quad-City Arts in early July. The exhibit ends today.

The resulting work "makes me feel very encouraged about our youth. I personally feel very strongly about not witnessing another Holocaust ever, and these young people have got the concept," said Dawn Wohlford-Metallo, gallery manager at Quad-City Arts.

Pantelis Korovilas, who will be a senior at Davenport North High School, created the photographic "Colors of Diversity." He toured the Anne Frank exhibit and wondered what kind of images he could put together to demonstrate his understanding of what tolerance means.

He used his camera to take pictures of students of diverse backgrounds shaking hands and added the picture of a globe. After graduation, he hopes to enroll in a graphic arts course at Scott Community College.

"It makes me think how lucky I am. She (Anne) was worrying about some crazy things � trying to stay alive. I'm just lucky," he said.

Joel Orozco, who graduated from Davenport West High School, submitted a mixed media image titled "Genocide."

He found special inspiration for his creation through the movie "Schindler's List." Art offers him a way to work through stress or through challenges he is facing in his life, Joel said.

"I put my emotions through pen or pencil onto paper," he said. Friends looking at his other projects encouraged him to submit his work for contests. But that was hard for him to do because he takes his work personally, he said.

"Genocide" incorporates images of a soldier holding a gun, a moaning woman and an outstretched hand. "The drive that made me work hard on this drawing was my own experience of racism. Yet I believe in peace and love and the equality of all mankind," he said. "I'm proud of my work even though the images remind me of sadness."

Elinda Zaruba of Pleasant Valley High School submitted an untitled photograph of a somber-eyed child pressing his chin against a parent's leg.

"Parents need to be tolerant of their children. When a parent shows tolerance toward a child, that child will learn how to cope with the difficult trials of life," she said in her written description.

Evaline Medina, a student at Davenport North, created a butterfly in bright shades with faces imposed in small circles on the wings.

"By allowing everyone to be individuals, you are allowing them to have their own wings to fly," she wrote.

The gallery is located at 1715 2nd Ave., Rock Island.

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(563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.