Artist Statement
Students in Ms. Wier’s 3rd grade class at King Elementary School in Ann Arbor, Michigan created this artwork.
It’s inspired by the book, Drawn Together by Minh Le. This book is about a Vietnamese grandfather and his American grandson who don’t speak the same language, however, they both love to draw and find a whole new way to communicate.
In class, each student designed a strip of paper that described themselves. Students then wove their papers together to create this unique weaving. Here is what students said about the story and their work:
“If you can’t talk to someone, try to show it.”
“It was sweet and reminded me of my grandpa!”
“To me it means you can talk with drawings.”
“It is hard when you don’t know a family member’s language.”
“To me, it means that there’s more than one way of communicating.”
“Drawing connects people.”
“Art is a language in itself.”
We are each different but when we come together, we create a unique community. This work illustrates how art can connect us all.”