To support their Humanities and Visual arts studies, our eighth graders visited the Walsh Gallery at Fairfield University for the exhibition For Which It Stands. In recognition of the Declaration of Independence’s semiquincentennial, the show features more than 70 works exploring the complex legacy of the American flag.

Students grappled with the question, “What do you think and feel when you see the American flag?” as they engaged with pieces centered on immigration, injustice, nationalism, and freedom. We share the sentiment of museum educator Elizabeth Vienneau, who stated that “art is a mostly safe space to talk about difficult things”, and we are grateful for this chance to deepen our understanding of the American experiment.