One morning on their walkabout on campus Ms. Molony and Ms. Bordeaux’s pre-kindergarten class spied something unusual, but oh so colorful, on the sidewalk behind Jenkins Hall. The girls from Ms. Hughes’s 7th grade had created their interpretations of Indian rangolis on the sidewalk. Traditionally made from vibrantly colored flour, rice, and sand, the rangoli is an Indian art pattern created to enhance the entrance point of a room or living space. Think of it as the Indian version of a good luck charm!

Needless to say, the young students were mesmerized, asking numerous questions about these colorful creations, and voila, a new investigation had begun. Ms. Robbin’s, the EEC’s atelierista, allowed the children to create their own rangolis out of butcher paper which thrilled everyone! Upper School girls from Ms. Hughes’s class visited the students to share their knowledge of India and this art form. Perfectly timed to round out the investigation was a visit to College of Charleston’s Halsey Gallery which featured an exhibition of rangoli artwork. The children loved seeing “the real thing” in person and were given more ideas as to styles and colors used to create these gorgeous pieces of art. The beauty of this investigation has also been the incorporation of so many of the Ashley Hall Hallmarks, namely: worldly, collaborative, and creative.

View Photos from the Investigation