Archmere Academy Spearheads Global Celebration of the 900th Anniversary of the Order of Premontre

Led by the Chair of the Art Department, Stephanie Silverman ‘00, students from Norbertine schools around the world came together to create a mural that honors St. Norbert. Every student was invited to create a small visual representation inspired by the life of St. Norbert on a 6” x 6” square created on any paper or two-dimensional surface. The only requirement is that they are inspired by St. Norbert’s life, legacy, and enduring impact.

“I think that this project is an excellent example of how technology can be leveraged to connect people across the globe—both in the collection process of the art samples using Google Drive, as well as the use of digital technologies and software to create the piece itself,” said Silverman.

Silverman worked with a local company to combine all of the student art pieces into a digital photomosaic tapestry, representing a visual symbol of the vast global network of the Norbertine Order and Norbertine schools, connected and united by the charism of St. Norbert. All of the tiles have been digitally sorted and organized into a larger image. This mural is in the shape of the fleur de lis, a symbol of the Norbertine Order that began in Prémontré, France on Christmas Day in 1121.

The project was not without its challenges, especially while facing a global pandemic. The art teachers from around the world went through great lengths to help their students participate. One teacher, Ms. Hámori, distributed and collected all of her students’ artwork.

Archmere Academy received over 200 submissions of original artwork from students in grades 5 through college level from around the world—St. Norbert College in Australia, Norbertus Gymnasium in Magdeburg, Germany, and St. Norbert College in Hungary.

The WDEL news story on the worldwide collaboration