Knightly News

How has the small town of Arnaudville, Louisiana, inspired the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge Quest for Peace program this year?

For the fifth installment of the Episcopal Quest for Peace program, “Chaplain Charlie” deGravelles is inspired by the transformation of Arnaudville, population 1,614. Once a town known for litter, drugs, poverty and crime, Arnaudville has been reimagined by a group of artists and a community learning to work together. Cultural ambassadors George Marks and Peg Ramier say the change occurred through the process of creative placemaking. The team wants to take Episcopal students on a creative placemaking journey to reinforce the school community and enhance campus life.

What is creative placemaking?

Marks and Ramier define creative placemaking as uncovering unique attributes of a group of people, celebrating those people through artistic representation with the intention of transforming a common space into a sacred space and bringing people together to heal and share joy in the newly defined space. Chaplain Charlie says creative placemaking is not outcome focused, but rather the process celebrates the journey to creation. Creative placemaking is about connecting different groups, sharing ideas and collaborating. Ultimately, that journey creates a sense of community and leads to what Chaplain Charlie calls “peacemaking.”

The Episcopal creative placemaking process launched with numerous brainstorming sessions between the artists, Chaplain Charlie and the students. Students also submitted ideas for eight potential creative placemaking locations on campus. Lower, Middle and Upper School students have been eager to share their ideas. Third graders suggested everything from a disguised treehouse or an aquarium fort to glittery flowers and trees with individual leaves made by students.  Sixth graders’ dreams for a creative place included an interactive show and tell, a game station and water features.

As is customary in the creative placemaking process, all ideas are considered. “We all have something to contribute,” says Marks. “Everyone has something of value and it’s about identifying that.” Ramier says the goal is to help students recognize the gifts in themselves and how they can express that as well as celebrate others. “I love seeing that self-reflection put into a space,” she says.

How does creative placemaking fit within the Episcopal experience?

Chaplain Charlie points out that the creative placemaking experience aligns well with Episcopal’s whole child philosophy of developing the academic, physical, artistic and spiritual aspects of the student. “All of these important parts of a student’s life can be brought to bear in this process and will be reflected in the end product,” he says. Ramier says there is a natural synergy as a community of people is woven together. It’s a great example of the UKNIGHTED feeling that makes Episcopal such a special place for students and families.

A whole child experience includes a strong focus on empathy. As a result, Episcopal educators seek opportunities to help students develop that skill. Marks says empathy is the word he’d use to describe placemaking. “Creative placemaking is the sum of its parts,” he says. Ultimately, he hopes the experience helps Episcopal students “be better human beings.”

The timeline for this year’s project is fluid as organizers work with student groups to develop concepts for a space that will be welcoming for the entire student body while also representing a combination of student ideas. “It’s cross-disciplinary and divisional,” says Chaplain Charlie. Once the ideal location is selected, organizers will determine the feasibility of design ideas and how to transform the space. For inspiration, Chaplain Charlie hopes to bring a group of students on a field trip to NUNU Arts and Culture Collective in Arnaudville so that they can see the hub of creativity that has played such a key role in the town. In the spring, Quest for Peace organizers will host a campus event celebrating the journey that students have experienced together.

“This will start out as an art project and end up with peace,” says Chaplain Charlie. That seems like a fitting goal for Quest for Peace, a program designed to help students make connections between academics, everyday life and their ability to make a positive difference in the world.

Look for more information as the creative placemaking effort unfolds.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.