The Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center will be hosting a virtual community project for International Dot Day on Wednesday, Sept. 15.
International Dot Day began in 2009, and is based on "The Dot", a book by Peter Reynolds.
According to the International Dot Day website, the book tells the story of a caring teacher who inspires a student to trust her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark." What begins as a simple dot on paper, transforms into a journey of self-discovery and confidence ignited in participants.
International Dot Day is a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration. This year, the City of Auburn will take part in the celebration to leave their own mark on this story.
Emillie Dombrowski, art education specialist for the City of Auburn, said that she hopes for this event to be completely virtual this year.
She said that the arts center will provide the download, and members of the community can design the piece however they like. Completed works can be dropped by the arts center before Sept.15.
The art project will then be displayed on the Auburn Arts Association’s Facebook page and in the children's gallery from Sept. 15-Sept. 22.
Members of the community are encouraged to make the piece their own using crayons, paint, collage or even words. The submissions will then be combined to create one community art piece.
This is not the first time that members of the Auburn community have participated in the event. In 2019, Dean Road Elementary School took part in the festivities, as reported by the Reynolds Center, a nonprofit organization created by Reynolds.
Students at the school were encouraged to participate through games and activities, and were even greeted through a special video message from Reynolds himself.
In 2020, the Auburn Early Education Center also participated in the event. However, they offered several options for dot-inspired artwork and requested that participants choose an idea and make it their own.
Some of these ideas included coffee filter dots, edible dots using M&Ms, dots made from paper plates and stamped dots.
“I hope you will join the growing global community of creativity champions using their talents, gifts and energy to move the world to a better place,” said author Peter Reynolds in a note on the official International Dot Day website.
Dombrowski said that what makes International Dot Day unique is what initially was established to celebrate creativity, courage and collaboration between children, has become a global sensation not just for children but adults as well.
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Kara Mautz, senior in human development and family studies with a minor in journalism, is a culture writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
