The movie “Bully” created a lot of talk and controversy since its recent release — which is a good thing. The difficult topic of childhood bullying got an amazingly moving hearing in this documentary, and coincidentally, another powerful project was being released in Miami aimed at addressing violence and bullying in the schools. Posters were created by 15 New World School of the Arts visual arts college students, meant to highlight school violence from elementary to high schools. It’s a project conceived by curator Janet Batet and New World School of the Arts graphic design professor Rosario Martinez-Canas, who made up two of the six poster judges that chose the artists and eventually the winning designs. Another judge was Frederic E. Conde, administrative director of operations at the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, who sponsored the initiative. Five students submitted posters for three categories: elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. In the end, the designs of Tatiana Gancedo, Melissa Mastroeni and Nanjoo Hong were chosen. Then, after a screening of “Bully” to kick off School Violence Awareness Week that started on April 20, the posters were hung across Miami-Dade County schools, to remain up through the school year.

“Two points are crucial in this project,” explains Batet. “First, the fact that the authors are still students and can engage in a very horizontal — and effective — dialogue …. Second, we did not want to use the traditional exhibition channel for this project, because that would result in a mere academic exercise with no social impact. These posters should reach their audience,” which is the kids in the public schools most directly impacted. Hurray to such an effort that helps foster art, but also takes it out of the gallery and into the broader realm, with a mission and a passion to effect some change.