gouache; 20×16″
“When you walk into a school, what do you observe? The students laughing, the teachers observing behavior. But if you look closely, there’s something else there. Metal detectors, tighter security, all necessary changes made in recent years to ensure the safety of our students. My piece is on the need for peace and change in schools. It depicts a face peeking through a ripped piece of paper, with equations in the background and flowers emerging from the torn edges. The face represents students who have to deal with the strain of not having their peace ensured. Ripped paper represents breakthrough, a reach toward better things. The flowers are white lilies and lavender. The lavender is peace and new growth while the lilies are a symbol of mourning, a tribute to those lost in these situations. The equations that are written equal to the various sums of fatalities across the country, while the circled number is the overall total, meant to honor and remember how many this has affected. My piece urges change, to inspire growth, and hopefully make a better tomorrow, one with more love and less fear within our places of education.”
ARTIST BIO: Leah CAPO is a grade 12 student at Butler Tech School of Art studying art under art teacher Mary Catherine Ruby.