Windsor High Students Create Veterans Day Memorial Installation

On Friday November 2nd, Windsor High School students from Art, CTE: Graphics and Social Studies classes braved the rain to install 1,000 red poppies on the Veterans Memorial Green on Broad Street in recognition of the 100th anniversary of World War I.

In the spring of 1915, shortly after losing a friend in the Battle of Ypres, a Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was inspired by the sight of poppies growing in battle-scarred fields to write a now famous poem called 'In Flanders Fields'. After the First World War, the poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance and hope.

Students in Art were challenged to create a poppy that could withstand the environmental elements of November in New England and be easily mass-produced. Once the prototype was designed and created, CTE students in the Graphics classes digitized the red petals in order to “print” them using a professional vinyl cutter. Once the vinyl was cut and the stems were painted, students from various classes worked in groups to assemble the flowers. Students were presented with an opportunity to authentically solve a real world problem, from brainstorming solutions to the final installation of the individual pieces, which is a common expectation across departments at Windsor High School.

The installation will be up until November 16th, the flowers will then be removed and reinstalled in the spring in the Windsor High School Library Courtyard as part of the outdoor sculpture installations at the annual student Art Show at Windsor High School. Please join us for the opening reception of the Student Art show on May 29th, 2019 in the Windsor High School Library at 7pm.

For more information please visit: www.bit.ly/whsart