Thank you to all the wonderful new students joining us! With every new class, we meet get to experience our students’ diverse backgrounds. We strive to make everyone feel welcome and safe so they can truly put themselves in their art. To accomplish this goal, we assembled some welcoming phrases in our new students’ native tongues and some information on the art of their countries. Take a look down below, and think about projects you can do with these art forms!
Welcome, Hello, and Thank You
Swahili
- Welcome – Karibu (singular)/ Karibuni (plural)
- Hello – Hujambo (singular)/ Hamjambo (plural)
- Thank you – Asante sana (singular)/ Asanteni (plural)
Spanish
- Welcome – Bienvenido
- Hello – Hola
- Thank you – Gracias
Burmese
- Welcome – ကြိုဆိုပါတယ် (Kyaosopartaal)
- Hello – မဂႆလာပၝ (Min-ga-la-ba)
- Thank you – ေက်းဇူးတန္ပါတယ္။ (Cè-zù tin-ba-deh)
Nepali
- Welcome – स्वागतम् (swagatam)
- Hello – नमस्ते (namaste)
- Thank you – धन्यवाद (dhanyabad)
Art Forms and Symbols
Congo
- Sculpture/ pottery – people
- Masks – wooden base decorated with shells, beads, feathers
- Animal – okapi
- Coat of arms – leopard, elephant tusk, and spear
Guatemala
- Handwoven textiles and costumes
- Animal – quetzal
- Flower – white nun orchid (symbol of peace, beauty, and art)
Malaysia
- Carving (wooden masks and animals)
- Basket weaving
- Batik – textile art – large, simple patterns with vibrant colors – leaves and flowers, no animals
- Animal – Malayan tiger
Nepal
- Sculpture and painting with religious themes (lives of gods, saints, heroes)
- Thangka- painting on rectangular cotton depicting scene or story
- Pottery- flower pots decorated with peacocks and elephants
- Animal – cow
Tanzania
- Makonde art – carvings of nature and family trees
- Tingatinga art – colorful paintings of nature and daily life
- Animal – giraffe
Honduras
- Pottery and ceramics
- Weaving hats, baskets, and mats
- Animal – white-tailed deer
