Identity Boxes at International High School at Prospect Heights

12th grade students at International High School at Prospect Heights (IHSPH) are designing an “Identity Box” in their Art class as part of a collaboration with Beam Center and Beam Project Designer, Pilar Perez. After learning about different artists, including Frida Khalo, Romare Bearden, and Joseph Cornell, students drew inspiration from these artists to tell their own stories through self portraits, collage, or a 3D box. All of the students decided they wanted to make 3D boxes like Cornell’s and added smaller elements to their boxes inspired by the other two artists.  

One of the project requirements was that students had to tell a story about themselves from their childhood. As expected, students chose various experiences to highlight in their “Identity Boxes,” with some including objects or artifacts from their youth and others writing poems about themselves to be recorded on student-made speakers (image at right) and included in the box. The collection of boxes will be on display in a local community exhibition; the public will be able to interact with the boxes and get to know the students who created them. Stay tuned for more information about the exhibition!

One student, Escarpment, decided to fill her box with different objects from her home in addition to materials that she had available in her class. She drew inspiration from Frida Khalo’s self portraits that questioned race, gender, class, post-colonialism, and identity. Escarpment represented herself through a doll she has had since she was a kid and created the clothes for the doll using the colors of the Dominican Republic’s flag, where she is from. She also included seashells and a tree, illustrating her childhood spent close to the beach in the Dominican Republic (image below left). 

Another box, made by Janeth, is built in the shape of a house - a house that Janeth one day dreams of having and living in with her family (image above right).

Check back soon for updates on the community exhibition featuring IHSPH “Identity Boxes".” Great job, students!