What connection could there be between Iowa and Ukrainian students living half a world apart? The connection - a love for waterfowl art. This creative connection was made thanks to a unique international exchange program developed by the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located near Prairie City, Iowa and a group named the Organization Promoting Everlasting Neighbors (O.P.E.N). OPEN is an Iowa-based sister city program which promotes cultural relationships between ton, Iowa and Smila, Cherkasy (a Ukrainian state).
As part of this unprecedented program, artwork from Iowas 1999 Junior Duck Stamp Contest was recently placed on display in the Ukraine. In exchange, Ukrainian students sent artwork from their Lake and River Bird Contest for display in Iowa.
Similar to the Duck Stamp contest, Ukrainian entries are limited to waterfowl which also occurs naturally in the Ukraine. Currently, both the 1999 Iowa Junior Duck Stamp Contest and Ukrainian Lake and River Bird Contest artwork are on display at Neal Smith NWR.
This international art exchange began with a conversation between Neal Smith NWR Project Leader Nancy Gilbertson, who coordinates the Iowa Junior Duck Stamp contest, and OPENs Marvin Campbell. Nancy and I were viewing the 1999 Iowa Junior Duck Stamp art display and I asked her `How would you like to see this hanging in the Ukraine? Campbell said. With Gilbertsons endorsement Campbell sought permission from the young Iowa waterfowl artists and Ukrainian officials to display the artwork in the Ukraine.
After a bit of bureaucratic maneuvering, the Iowa waterfowl art soon found an appreciative new audience of Ukrainian students and artists at Cherkasy Oblast Art Museum. After its display at the museum, the artwork was featured as a traveling exhibit throughout the state of Cherkasy. On May 12, the Iowa artwork was returned and is currently on display, along with the Ukrainian artwork, at Neal Smith NWR.
The artwork from the Ukrainian students will be on display at the Neal Smith NWR and at locations throughout Iowa until the Fall of 2000. After its display, the artwork will be returned to the Ukraine along with the 2000 Iowa Junior Duck Stamp art for its display rotation.
Although 1999 was only the first year of a planned two-year partnership between the Service and OPEN, the program has already generated much enthusiasm and served as a catalyst to cross-cultural education. Thousands of kids have been impacted by this wildlife art exchange program, said Campbell, both here and in Cherkasy.
Gilbertson agrees. Weve never tried anything like this before. The question wasnt `Why should we try it? but rather `Why not? We know wildlife and environmental issues today are international or global in scope, so a general appreciation of the wildlife issues in other countries can only bode well for the future, she said. Our goals of encouraging students to take a closer look at the natural world around them and creating a deeper understanding of other cultures have been met. We re looking forward to our next exchange.
