Westover Students Connect and Share Art with Afghan Peers

The pandemic has been made it difficult to form and maintain new connections with others during this time of isolation and social distancing, but an assignment that Westover School art teacher Sara Poskas gave to her Drawing I students has actually helped create a special bond between them and their counterparts in Afghanistan, half a world away.

This fall, Poskas’s four students — sophomores Jemima Paolucci of Washington, Charlotte Brown of Watertown, Nia Gilmore of Seattle, and Hayden Harlow of Goshen — took part in a global art exchange for an international non-profit organization called The Memory Project. “In this one-on-one exchange,” according to The Memory Project’s website, “American students engage in artistic peacebuilding by sharing handmade, heartfelt artwork with kids from countries that are culturally very different from the USA.” This year, students exchange artwork with their peers in Afghanistan, Russia, Pakistan, Syria, and Nigeria. Washington

New in 2021, ASAP! is expanding its suite of Celebrations to include game design. The Celebration of Young Game Designers will nurture creativity and provide a new platform for joyful learning, creative problem solving, and connection with other young gamers. Individual students in grades 3-12 are invited to submit their ideas for a video game to be judged by a panel of professionals in the field, including Alexia Mohabir and Brian S. Chung, team leaders. Mohabir and Chung will lead finalists in a game jam

weekend, providing a unique chance to collaborate with a professional team and learn about the many skills and creative processes needed in the creation of a real video game. The theme for ASAP!’s first ever Celebration of Young Game Designers is ‘Dream.’ Students will be asked to consider all aspects of their design from the setting, story and characters to the user experience and even an elevator pitch. The submission deadline is February 1st, with top selections announced on the

15th. For more information and full guidelines, visit asapct.org. Danbury

“Abstractions: Shadows & Runes” is an exhibition of photographs by Joy Bush, of Hamden that will be on view at The Gallery at Still River Editions in Danbury from Jan. 11 through March 26, both virtually and in-person.

The photographs in the exhibition are the result of Bush’s observation of everyday life. Sometimes signs and portents form on pavement, on walls. The cracks, shadows, and stains converge, and through the artist’s lens, make people look at old surfaces with new eyes.

The Gallery at Still River Editions is located at 128 East Liberty St., Danbury, 06810;

203-791-1474. Hours 8:30 am - 5 pm Monday through Friday; closed Presidents' Day. 1-2 people from the same household are allowed in the gallery at one time. See website for current guidelines. More information at stillrivereditions.com. Joy Bush’s website is joybushphotography.com