MOE painting program builds students cultural ties

2015/08/17

An art education program helping schoolchildren around Taiwan identify with local culture and the environment through painting has chalked up eye-catching results, according to the Ministry of Education.

Using figurines of rams—the animal symbol for the year in the lunar calendar—as canvasses, students were encouraged to pick colors best suited to their hometowns. A total of 4,353 pupils and over 400 teachers from 67 elementary schools nationwide took part in the initiative, with painted ram exhibitions in Taipei City and Taitung County attracting more than 30,000 showgoers.

Chang Ming-wen, director of MOE’s Department of Teacher and Art Education, said he was surprised to see such a wide variety of hues in the students’ painting.

“Even more striking is the distinct makeup of each place. For example, Taitung in southeastern Taiwan is definitely different from Taipei in northern Taiwan, which stands out from everywhere else.”

Pupils at Taitung’s Kanding Elementary School used five colors symbolic of the local indigenous Bunun tribe. They are brown for millet and yellow-orange for corn, both staple foods; blue and red, common in tribal outfits; and green for the stunning scenery of East Rift Valley.

Luo Jia-hong of Xue Xue Foundation, a Taipei-based nongovernmental organization collaborating with the MOE on the initiative, said blue is frequently used by most eastern Taiwan students as it represents the Pacific Ocean.

“Such regional differences bring out what is unique about a place,” she said. “Those from northern Taiwan tend to paint in vivid hues, while those from central Taiwan opt for more natural colors of brown and orange. Children of the tropical south are heavy on yellow, as it is encapsulates eternal sunshine.”

According to Luo, the program also encouraged young people to connect with local culture and observe Mother Nature with a keener eye. “We look forward to furthering this MOE-backed program and deepening the appreciation of Taiwan students for art,” she said.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=233831&ctNode=413)