The seventh and eighth grade students in Mrs. Griesinger’s Painting and Composition class took a field trip to Gallup Park on May 13, 2024 to see an exhibit called “Embracing Our Differences.” Over 80 students traveled by bus to participate in a docent led tour of the outdoor installation and had lunch at the park.

Clague art teacher, Sarah Griesinger, was in charge of the plan and goals of the field trip.

The billboard size images all connect to the theme of “Enriching Our Lives Through Diversity.” The class favorite was a piece of artwork called “Free Hugs,” by Clifford McDonald. This art piece depicts a man with outstretched arms wearing a friendly smile and a T-shirt that reads “Free Hugs.” The artist’s statement talks about how we live in a world where love can be hard to find and so they are giving out love with free hugs.

Many pieces were submitted by international and national artists, but local artists and area students created a number of thought-provoking pieces. There are 65 images in the 2024 gallery and about half can be viewed at Gallup Park.

“I hope that after our field trip, students remember one of the artworks they saw when connecting with people who are different from them,” Griesinger said. “I hope that it makes them stop and think about how they can embrace one another instead of avoiding or rejecting those differences. I hope that when they see public art installations in the future, they stop and enjoy the artwork!”

The exhibit runs from May 6, 2024 through October 2024 at Gallup Park in Ann Arbor and Riverside Park, Ypsilanti, and is a free event. For more information, check out the website Embracing Our Differences Michigan.