Childís Play Exhibits of Chinese and African Childrenís Art Shows Their Concerns, Creativity by Christine CubÈ The assignment seems simple enough: Draw your thoughts on the environment. For most children, itís a request that would likely conjure up images of trees, birds, a shining sun or perhaps some clouds or even an ocean filled with fish. But for 1 million children living in China, who participated in this art competition in fall 2002, the assignment held a much deeper vision. The images arenít exactly childís playósome are happy and inspirational, while others are downright frightening and disturbing, carrying a message and maturity far more profound than your average stick figure on a grassy lawn. The end product, titled ìFlying the Childís HopeóChinese Childrenís Art on the Environment,î features 80 drawings now on display at the Capital Childrenís Museum. The artwork depicts the plight of endangered animals and other environmental concerns, and the exhibit is one that children of all ages can appreciate. Many of the pictures, which showcase extraordinary talent and creativity, are colorful and bright, such as one drawing called ìHome Improvementî of a girl surrounded by flowers with gardening tools in hand. Other pictures are quite deep and educational. Take for instance one drawing of a bird sitting on a tree stump, singing a song into a bubble thatís filled with once-lush trees and waters, which have been shrink-wrapped by the now-towering skyscrapers that dominate the background. Or consider a picture of the planet sitting on an operating table, hooked up to machines, while doctors attempt to ìsaveî it, or the image of several weeping elephants, walking on a sun-scorched, crackled Earth. The exhibit is labeled by theme, including Where Did the Trees Go; Our Environment; Our Water, Fish and Seas; Heal the Earth; Things We Can Do; and Hopes for Our Future. More than 1 million students in China, ranging in age from 5 to 15, participated in the environmental drawing contest, which was sponsored by the 1990 Institute in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Education and Communication of the State Environmental Protection Administration of China, as well as Chinaís National Childrenís Center. Another interesting child-oriented exhibit can be found at the National Museum of African Art, which is showcasing a groundbreaking display on childrenís masquerades in Africa. ìPlayful Performersî spotlights the immense creativity of African children as they explore the world of masquerade performance. The exhibit, which is the museumís first attempt at mounting an exhibition both about children and for children, will be on display through December. ìPlayful Performersî includes an installation of several highly imaginative masks and costumes, shown as they would actually be used during a performance. Galleries are filled with life-size color photographs of children making masks and participating in the masquerades. There also are audible sounds of African masquerades and videotaped performances throughout the exhibit. Museum Director Sharon F. Patton said the masquerades are ìdramatic and compelling events in many parts of Africa.î They are performed throughout the Western and Central regions of the continent in both rural and urban areas. According to the exhibitís press materials, the nature of the African masquerade encompasses a disguise of the human face, elaborate costuming, choreography and musical accompaniment. Masked dancers dressed as animals, spirits, ancestors or human beings enact well-known legends and stories, celebrating important community events. ìWith this exhibition, we are exploring for the first time how children not only mimic adult behavior but initiate their own masquerades, ranging from brief performances to very sophisticated ones,î Patton said. ìPlayful Performersî underscores play as entertainment and as a lesson for children to learn skills intended to help them succeed in the adult world. Masquerades can be part of serious religious ceremonies, or humorous jabs aimed at individuals or groups, or they may address important issues such as the prevention of HIV and AIDS. The National Museum of African Art has planned a series of free activities for adults and children to complement ìPlayful Performers.î These include an exhibition tour on June 3, as well as a childrenís book program called ìLetís Read about Africaî on May 8 and June 12. ìFlying the Childís HopeóChinese Childrenís Art on the Environmentî runs through May 15 at the Capital Childrenís Museum, 800 Third St., NE. For more information, please call (202) 675-4120 or visit www.ccm.org. ìPlayful Performersî runs through Dec. 12 at the National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave., SW. For more information, please call (202) 357-4600 or visit www.nmafa.si.edu. Christine CubÈ is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Va. Message From Peace Quilt Makes Blanket Statement When Alexandria resident Gerry Eitner met 8-year-old Brynn, she knew the little girl from Fairfax, Va., was special. Their first meeting was already a chance encounter: It took place during the showing of a peace quilt made by parents and other adults at the U.S. Capitol in September 2000. Two days later, their second meeting could only be called coincidenceóa peace event dedication at the Pentagon. "I remember thinking, ëThis feels like a little angel,í" Eitner said. Brynnís request was simple: She wanted a childrenís version of the peace quiltóand Eitner helped her wish come true. Eitner, president and founder of the Alexandria, Va.-based Childrenís Cloth of Many Colors Foundation, took on the project, which has resulted in a one-third-mile-long quilt that includes the work of thousands of children from 21 countries and 23 U.S. states. The quilt has been shown in its entirety only a handful of times because of budget constraints. Sections of the quilt have been shown to more audiences, including a viewing last year with Washingtonís foreign diplomats and another that took place at the United Nations. For the quilt to actually embark on a world tour, Eitner said it would cost around $350,000 to $500,000óthat would place the quilt in at least one country on each continent. Until that happens, the next time the quilt will come out in its entirety will on be on July 4 at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. Since the quilt project began, one theme that has evolved is the underlying idea of war and peace. It began with children in Warrenton, Va., who reached out to Afghan youth, asking them to explore the values of their country. The Virginia children created a section that contained the American flag, saying it represented their countryís highest value of freedom. The Afghan children, from the Aisha Durani school in Kabul, responded with a section containing the Afghan and American flags to represent the value of peace. Criteria for contributions to the childrenís peace quilt are listed on the foundationís Web site, www.childrenscloth.org. Children are asked to create a yard-long square incorporating their favorite pieces of cloth, which thus far have included baby blankets and sections of childrenís clothes. Then the children are asked to put their feelings of what peace on earth would be like for them. "Itís always positive, sweet and full of love," Eitner said. The next step of the quilt project is to involve children from every country around the world for a section on childrenís "love of the land." Already, that part of the quilt has garnered contributions from Taiwanese youth, who made a piece that included birds and small nests. óChristine CubÈ