Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum at Omniplex has scheduled the Respect Diversity Symbol Exhibit for April 12 – May 12, 2005.  The exhibit features hundreds of collaborative works of art and poetry by students of all ages.  Young people throughout Oklahoma are celebrating diversity in creative ways, as they explore issues of cultural diversity, human rights, and global peace through the arts.

One of the projects to be displayed at the exhibit, ALL THE COLORS, is a work of art created by fifth grade students from Westminster School in Oklahoma City, inspired by a multi-curricular Tsunami relief project.  The students, under the guidance of Trevalan Riggle, recorded a CD featuring the song (by the same name) ALL THE COLORS, written by Westminster alumnus Jeffrey Michael, produced by Studio Seven and engineered by Dave Copenhaver.  Proceeds for the CD will go to Schools Helping Schools, for schools being built in place of those destroyed by the recent Tsunami.  The CD cover is a photograph of the visual art piece ALL THE COLORS.

Visitors will have an opportunity to read a framed information card about the motivational factors behind this and all other art pieces on display at the Respect Diversity Symbol Exhibit.  

Teachers who register by March 15th will receive Multicultural Professional Development Points.

All collaborative entries to the Respect Diversity Art & Poetry Contest, launched with the help of First Lady Kim Henry, last September, will be on display at the exhibit.

The April 21, 2005 gala for this exhibit, at 5:30 pm, will include a program in the Eleanor Maurer Theatre with performances by kindergartners from Washington Irving ES and students from Westminster School.  Winning schools of the Respect Diversity Art & Poetry Contest will be presented awards by Betty Price, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council and Edie Roodman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater OKC. State Superintendent Sandy Garrett and Civil Rights Activist Clara Luper will present the Respect Diversity Teacher of the Year awards to Jet Torrence (Cimarron MS in Edmond, OK) and Cathy Adams (Freedom ES in Sapulpa, OK).

Sponsors for the Respect Diversity Symbol Exhibit include the Oklahoma Arts Council, MetroFamily Magazine, ICelebrateDiversity.com, the Jewish Foundation of Oklahoma City, Hudiburg Auto Group, the Oklahoma Centennial Collage Project, Inc., Wal-Mart, and the John & Claudia Holliman Affiliated Fund of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

To learn about projects of the Edmond-based Respect Diversity Foundation, and for free entry to the Omniplex Opening, visit: www.respectdiversity.org, write to: rdfrdf@cox.net, or call: 405/359-0369.