The annual Bun Festival is coming up in Cheung Chau, but that wasn’t the reason for my recent visit to the island. I had been invited by Christine Bruckner, director of the Hong Kong chapter of the American Institute of Architects, to celebrate the revitalisation of Cheung Chau Sacred Heart School’s library.  As a mother and Girl Scouts leader, the Art in the Community ‘Take Action’ project is one that Bruckner takes to heart. 

 

“I selected this project because I have a passion for art and wanted to create a relationship between the local community in Cheung Chau and the Girl Scout community,” said Bruckner. “The project gave them the opportunity to collaborate through art to improve the environment."

 

It was buzzing with energy when I arrived; the gym and library full of excited students, proud parents and teachers. Kids hovered around the HKIS Girl Scouts who led the design of the library, asking for autographs.

 

For four months, 15 of them spent their weekends and after school hours designing, sketching, inking and then painting the walls of Cheung Chau Sacred Heart School’s library. The result was a bright and welcome room with painted windows, flowers and leaves. It reminded me of The Secret Garden.

 

The highlight of the room was the word ‘library’ with animals carefully stencilled and coloured in each letter; each creature thoughtfully chosen to help students learn English, explained Toffee Jiaravanon, 16, one of the Girl Scout leaders of the design team. So, for example, in the ‘L’, only animals with names beginning with the letter ‘l’ are featured.

 

According to Bruckner, the library was formerly regarded as a ‘dark cave’. Now, it has a new motto to go with its makeover: “A library is a garden for the imagination.”

 

Filled with books donated by Hong Kong International School, the revamped library is a perfect example of how outreach can bring people together while at the same time sustaining improvements such as a renovation.