Fresh Artists kids make mini-masterpieces from Barnes Foundation
Emily R. with her interpretation of Cezanne’s Valley of the Arc from the Barnes Foundation collection
- Fresh Artists was invited by the Barnes Foundation to create an outdoor art gallery surrounding its construction site for their new building on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Fresh Artists chose two public schools to participate in this pilot project, Hancock Demonstration Elementary in the Northeast and CW Henry Elementary in Mt. Airy. Sixty-four 1st grade through 7th grade children each adopted a masterpiece from the Barnes Foundation, and interpreted it in acrylic, tempera, watercolor or oil crayon. The original artwork will be exhibited at the Woodmere Art Museum from Sunday, March 6 until May 6, 2010.
Children made ornate "gold-leafed" picture frames to display their artwork.
Large-scale reproductions of these works will be installed on the construction fence as an outdoor art gallery the end of April, and remain up throughout the new museum’s construction. Reproduction images of the children’s “mini-Matisses, Picassos, Cezannes and Renoirs” are now available through Fresh Artists’ unique program of thanking donors with vibrant reproductions of children’s artwork.
Barnes Director Derek Gillman and his senior staff celebrate the children's creativity at the premiere exhibition of Fresh Artist's Mini Masterpices Program. Art teachers Robyn Miller of Hancock School in the northeast and Evelyn Bock of the CW Henry School in Mt. Airy worked for weeks on this innovative installation, and guided the children's exploration of impressionist paintings.
Barnes Director Derek Gillman addresses the children
Artist-philanthropist Molly M. presented flowers to Pam Birmingham, Woodmere's Curator of Education. Fresh Artists is grateful to Woodmere for hosting the first viewing of this unique art collection in their Millard Gallery of Children's Art.
A lot of work occurred before the premiere hosted by Woodmere Art Museum:
Interpreting Cezanne's Terracotta Pots and Flowers, 1891-92
Children were treated to private tours during two visits to the Barnes. Back at school they drew and painted their adopted masterpiece.
Art teachers Robyn Miller and Evelyn Bock join Fresh Artists founder, Barbara Chandler Allen, Barnes DIrector of Education Blake Bradford and Marketing and Communications Director Andrew Stewart at the groundbreaking for the new building on the Parkway. The outdoor art gallery of children's work will be installed before the end of April.
5th grade Brandon Balsirow's interpretation of Cezanne's The Ginger Jar, 1895
Seventh grader Laresha Williams' interpretation of Matisse's The Red Madras Headdress, 1907
Fifth grader Syeed Haynes interpreted Monet's The Studio Boat, 1876
Large-scale digital reproductions of all sixty-four works of art are available to Fresh Artists’ donors as thank-you gifts from the children.
