Students in Jacqueline Harmon’s ceramics classes at MacArthur High School have set out to create their own Flanders Field of poppies in the school’s Veterans Memorial area.
The story of the poppies was made famous by Canadian poet and soldier Lt. Col. John McCrae, who served as a surgeon in World War I. Poppies popped up in Flanders Field in Belgium after artillery shells churned up the landscape and released the dormant seeds. McCrae penned the poem “In Flanders Fields” to commemorate the site where an estimated half a million soldiers were injured or killed in the 100-day battle. In time, the poppy became a symbol of remembrance for those who died in war.
Harmon read about a similar field of poppies art exhibit at the Tower of London in 2014 to commemorate the start of World War I in 1914.
“It was a stunning visual and I thought we should do something,” Harmon said.
Earlier this spring, Harmon’s students began shaping poppy petals from recycled clay from other projects. She hoped to have about 150 or more made in time for Memorial Day. Harmon’s initial idea was to display them at the Veterans Center. Her next thought was to display them at the entrance to Fort Sill National Cemetery.
The project was delayed when her kiln broke and she could not fire as many of the poppies in time as she had hoped, but she didn’t give up. With the help of Scott Smith at the Life Ready Center, who loaned Harmon his kiln, she was able to get about 50 ready in time for Memorial Day. On Sunday afternoon, she and some volunteers put the poppies out at the Veterans Memorial in front of the school.
Not only did Harmon want to honor local veterans, she also wanted her students to experience a community service project.
“It’s great for them to do things for other people,” she said. “I try to create an incentive to create beautiful art. One way is to have other people look at your artwork. You create best when you create something for someone else.”
Several students did not know the meaning of the poppy until Harmon showed a video explaining the history and told them about the Tower of London exhibit.
Noah Romero and Alexander Zavala, both ninth graders, were enthused about the project.
“It is nice for the veterans to see even if it is just a flower we made in class,” Romero said. “I think it’s nice to see something somewhere and say ‘I made that’.
I’m glad to be able to show my appreciation for what they’ve done.”
“I think it’s a nice way to commemorate the people who fought. It helps get ceramics out there,” Zavala said. Zavala said his father is a veteran, and he hoped to give one to him.
Twins Kassi and Karsen Burch, sophomores, also were making poppies. Karsen Burch said she enjoyed knowing the history behind the project. Kassi Burch said it was one of the easiest projects they had made in ceramics class. Each red poppy had five petals with a black center. The project was special to them because their grandfather is a veteran.
Carly Gachot, ninth grade, found the project challenging because she didn’t know how to put the petals together.
“It made it more interesting to know the meaning behind what you are making. I think it will be nice,” she said of the flowers being on display. “They (veterans) will understand the meaning.”
Harmon plans to fire the remaining poppies when her kiln gets fixed, and her students next year will make more to add to the exhibit.
The poppies will be on display in front of MacArthur through Friday.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information on the Tower of London exhibit, see https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/11/blood-swept-lands-and-seas-of-red/100851/