For a short time, visitors to the Chandler Museum have the opportunity to experience custom works of cardboard created by a group of sixth-grade students inspired after a field trip to study the World War II-based exhibits currently on display at the Museum.
On Sep. 27, 2019, Knox Gifted Academy, a K-6 public school in Chandler Unified School District, hosted its annual Global Cardboard Challenge where students were asked to create cardboard masterpieces inspired by their current curriculum.
As a part of the challenge, sixth-grade students built monuments, memorials and more to demonstrate their understanding of the history of the War Relocation Authority Japanese internment camps, including those in Arizona.
The student’s works were inspired by their literature readings about Japanese internment and a visit to Chandler Museum's “Gaman” exhibit.
“Gaman: Enduring Japanese American Internment at Gila River,” examines the history of more than 16,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from the west coast to Gila River Internment Camp near Chandler during WWII.
After viewing the works, some of the students directly recreated artifacts from works in the Museum's collection.
“We’re thrilled to host these student projects that were created as a direct result of their visit to the Museum and the insightful discussions we had while they were here,” said Tiffani Egnor, Education Coordinator for the Chandler Museum who also led a workshop for the students when they visited. “The quality of work is impressive, and the projects fit in perfectly with the topics of our other two exhibits.”
In addition to the “Gaman” exhibit which inspired the students, the Museum is also running “Infamy: December 7, 1941,” a traveling exhibit that illustrates the attack on Pearl Harbor through a collection of iconic photographs and examines the moments that led the United States into World War II.
See the Works on Display at the Chandler Museum
The cardboard projects from the students are a celebrated addition to the Museum's exhibits, as they represent local students’ understanding and interpretation of history that took place in their own community.
The student’s cardboard works will be on display through Nov. 3 at the Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Dr. Museum admission is free and open to the public.
