How the arts in the classroom can foster the creation of a shared community in an interconnected world

How can the arts cultivate a shared community in an interconnected world?

Throughout history, the arts have served as a powerful bridge among nations, allowing cultures and identities to intersect and flourish. This dynamic exchange when brought to the classroom creates a vibrant, interconnected global community where the unique contributions of each country are celebrated. Below, you’ll discover an inspiring collection of exhibitions and screenings for students that showcase the fruits of collaboration and shared knowledge across borders.

• Art. Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature is the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the artist held in the United States. Organized in cooperation with the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, and Hamburger Kunsthalle, with unprecedented loans from more than 30 lenders in Europe and North America, the exhibition presents approximately 75 works by Friedrich. Oil paintings, finished drawings, and working sketches from every phase of the artist’s career, along with select examples by his contemporaries, illuminate how Friedrich developed a symbolic vocabulary of landscape motifs to convey the personal and existential meanings that he discovered in nature. 

Why is it important in our global context?

The exhibition situates Friedrich’s art within the tumultuous politics and vibrant culture of 19th-century German society and, by extension, highlights the role of German Romanticism in shaping modern perceptions of the natural world.

Find more resources on the exhibit that can be integrated into the classroom context at the Met’s official website.

• Cinema: I’m still here in Theaters. One of the most anticipated movies of the year, winner of the Academy Award for the best international feature “I’m Still Here”, or “Ainda Estou Aqui” in Portuguese, narrates the story of a family shattered by the disappearance, orchestrated by the revolutionary activities, of the father. The mother, Eunice, is consequently left on her own, demanding justice for her husband while simultaneously nurturing their 5 children in a challenging environment. 

How is Brazil inspiring the rest of the world?

With this remarkable feature, Brazil shares a piece of its history globally, fostering knowledge about a troubled and often forgotten past, and how the families of the time survived while facing an uncertain future. Filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón named it one of his favorite films of 2024, stating "Watching a Walter Salles film is to be embraced in generosity, is like experiencing a gravitational pull, both lifting and grounding us at the same time with an invisible yet undeniable force. With “I'm Still Here,” this effect is even more compelling.”

Check the official website for screening times, or play the movie trailer for students to enhance classroom discussions on related subjects.

• The Bronx Music Heritage Center’s monthly series, Nuevas Voces, showcases emerging Latin jazz artists who are expanding the genre’s reach. Latin jazz, rooted in Afro-Cuban and Brazilian traditions, has evolved in New York City to include rich influences from across Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru, enriching its appeal while honoring its African roots.

Featured performer Berta Moreno, a renowned jazz saxophonist and educator from Spain, blends jazz with world music, creating a sound that is both innovative and traditional. 

Find more information on the Carnegie Hall website. 

What can we gain from attending?

Her work in Latin jazz not only nurtures the genre but also inspires future musicians through her art and educational initiatives. This art form can be integrated as a cultural dimension to a lesson on identity and multicultural collaboration. As Moreno participates in Nuevas Voces, audiences will enjoy a celebration of Latin jazz's richness and the unique voices shaping its future. The series fosters community among jazz enthusiasts in the Bronx and beyond, promoting dialogue, collaboration, and appreciation for Latin jazz's cultural significance today. 

Find more information on the Carnegie Hall website. 

The arts provide rich and authentic material to expand any lesson with the perspectives of our various interconnected cultures and countries. Education isn't limited to books, readings, and traditional lectures—there are countless ways to learn and authentic materials often bring a lesson into the three-dimensional space with profound relevance and impact. Anyone, on their own, can expand their understanding and open themselves to new horizons and when we encourage students to undertake these explorations, we are guiding them to the interconnected threads of our global human society. Whether it's through listening to foreign music, attending a film screening, or admiring art, we'll uncover the rich history of world countries and, most importantly, enter the space of global collaboration that makes the evolution of our human society possible. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Bibliography

• “Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature.” n.d. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/caspar-david-friedrich-the-soul-of-nature.

• “I’m Still Here Movie | Official Website | Sony Pictures Classics.” 2025. I’m Still Here Movie | Official Website | Sony Pictures Classics. 2025. https://imstillhere-film.com.

• Moreno, Berta. 2025. “Nuevas Voces: Emerging Voices in Latin Jazz | Mar 20, 2025 at 7 PM.” Carnegiehall.org. 2025. https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2025/03/20/nuevas-voces-emerging-voices-in-latin-jazz-0700pm.