Drawings by nine students at Wilton’s Middlebrook School are among those featured in a special gallery show featuring 121 works by children from 20 countries, now open at The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.

Middlebrook School is the featured school in the 19th International Children’s Art Exhibit, running now through Sept. 1. Presented by Creative Connections of Norwalk, admission to the exhibit is free and on display in the Aquarium’s IMAX® Theater lobby.

The theme of the this year’s show is “Picture the Moment.” The drawings and paintings were created by children in Grades 3 to 12 who were asked – through Creative Connections’ ArtLink program – to draw and paint pictures that “thoughtfully capture a moment depicting one’s ethnic and cultural identity.”

Generally, the exhibit proves that moments or topics chosen as meaningful by CT students – family, friends, traditions, faith and activities – are similarly important to children around the globe. Pieces are included from 20 different countries, including Uganda, Nigeria, Japan, Jordan, Cyprus, Russia, China, Sri Lanka and Brazil.

Children from Connecticut – including dozens from schools in Fairfield County – are equally represented. Entries by the Wilton students are:

  • “The Sleepover” by Karolina Barabash, 12.
  • “50th Anniversary” by Sarah Belcher, 12.
  • “Sun Ride” by Matthew Ferro, 12.
  • “New York City” by Navod Jayawardhane, 11.
  • “A Night of Fondue” by Alexander Koutsoukos, 12.
  • “McDonald’s Moment” by Peyton Matik, 12.
  • “Where Artists Bloom” by Niamh McCarthy, 12.
  • “Just Keep Swimming” by Madeline Pennino, 13.
  • “Person to Person Food Drive” by Eleanor Winrow, 12. (Above, as the main image)

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Previously during the school year, artwork by American students was exchanged with pieces by the students overseas, giving them insights into their partners’ cultures. Many schools also held videoconferences with partner international schools to share information about the project and themselves.

Exhibit sponsors include Fairfield County Bank and Peralta Design, with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development as well as the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Creative Connections is a non-profit international cultural exchange organization that educates young people by encouraging their awareness, understanding and appreciation of other cultures as well as of their own. Learn more at www.creativeconnections.org.

For more details about other exhibits, IMAX movies, programs and more at The Maritime Aquarium this summer, visit the Maritime Aquarium website  or call 203.852.0700.