Palm Springs Middle School Participates in Pinwheels for Peace

Imagine millions of pinwheels spinning in the wind – pinwheels in the United States, Great Britain, South America, Europe and Asia;  in fact, pinwheels all over the world.  Bonnie Hollihan and Jay Harmon’s art students at Palm Springs Middle School “planted” pinwheels in the annual Pinwheels for Peace initiative on Monday, September 24. The students’ colorful pinwheels, decorated with drawings, paintings, collages, photographs and messages were installed on the athletic field of the Palm Springs school.  Principal Sandy Jinks said the project isn’t necessarily associated as a statement about ending the war. “ The message can simply be related to violence or intolerance in our daily lives; the search for peace of mind,” she stated.”Peace can take on a different meaning for all of us.”  The students decorated their pinwheels with artwork or with written expressions of peace.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation /exhibit project started in 2005 by two art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, who teach at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for their students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives.  The project was quickly embraced by their students and the entire school community and by millions of art teachers, teachers, parents, children and adults who desire peace in our world.

The first Pinwheels for Peace were installed on Sept. 21, 2005. Since then, the numbers  havegrown from 500,000 pinwheels planted the first year, to three and one -half million pinwheels of all shapes and sizes.  Palm Springs students are pictured below displaying their pinwheels on the International Day of Peace as a public statement.

For more information about this event, see: http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com. 

For details about Palm Springs’ participation, contact Martin Weingart, 561.434-3300 or email Martin.weingart@palmsbeachschools.org.