Saratoga School Graduations 2022
Saratoga School Graduations 2022, 5 & 6 grade student hand shadows with personal and ranch brands.
May 2022, 52 inches x 12 inches.
These paintings celebrate the graduation of Saratoga's 5th & 6th graders as they transition to Middle School and Principal Darren Jennings as he transitions to become School District Superintendent. The elementary is downsizing to K-4 so this is a historic time of change. Symbolically, in Australia's Aboriginal tradition, the shadow hand prints represent the students "school certificates" to mark a first initiation on the journey to adulthood. Students included their actual ranch brands or played with their initials to create their own personal brands or signatures. The wave design symbolizes the Rainbow Snake who brought water to the world. It celebrates their life giving relationship with the N Platte River and the water that sustains their land and community. The dots represent rain drops and the coloring honors their commitment to share the water with their neighbors. The 4 traditional colors, Black, White, Red and Yellow, honor the traditional owners of the land, Lakota, Cheyenne & Arapahoe and the 4 races of the earth. Our paintings are a collective wish for peace on our land and the world. Special thanks to principal Darren Jennings and PTO President Jessica Hull.
