Fresh Artists Blog 

The Vision:   You walk into Fresh Artists Print Studio…

Senior Apprentice Tanika gently guides a 42” x 68” print of a 2nd grader’s interpretation of van Gogh’s sunflowers off the large-format ink jet printer. She helps the Print Manager mount it to Gatorboard, part of a 40-piece order from a Fortune-500 corporation. Coffee and soft jazz fill the sunlit space. Three retired art teachers chat while making art-themed Memory Games for sale on our website. A local jewelry artist preps an air-dry clay demo for our Sunday Salon for new art teachers.

Our ED gives a studio tour to a new client, the CEO of a multi-national pharmaceutical. Jason, our Junior Intern, sizes digital images in Adobe Photoshop for a presentation to another new client, a child advocacy center in Denver, with the help of his mentor from a local graphic design firm. There are 30 pieces of children’s art waiting to be scanned, part of the recent Mini-Masterpiece project where kids interpret Impressionist treasures from a world-famous art museum.

A group of teens are color-sorting a mountain of recycled paint sample chips donated by Home Depot, into mailers, adding Fresh Artists’ lesson plans for delivery to art teachers struggling with empty shelves. A retired volunteer is on the phone coaching a Brownie leader in Detroit on the fine points of running her Clothesline Art Sale that will provide art supplies for an inner city Michigan school.

Tanika answers her cell phone and then shrieks, “I got a full scholarship to study photography at RISD next fall!” Jason peers over his 27” screen. He thinks he’ll stay in school and hang out with Fresh Artists for another year. He gets to print his own artwork next week. This place is pretty cool.

First step: Clean out the Space & Build!

We signed our lease on our new headquarters… 1200 sq. ft. sunlit studio space at Sherman Mills art complex in East Falls! The space was last occupied by a metal sculptor, so a major overhaul is under way! Lots of paint, window washing and designing an open, flexible studio with everything on wheels.

The Print Studio will be the new home for Fresh Artists as well as an inter-generational collaborative space bringing teens in as digital printing apprentices and inviting art teachers to our Sunday Salons where artists will demonstrate new materials and retired master teachers will coach new teachers in their favorite, most successful lesson plans. Funded by a generous grant from the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with matching funds from The CHG Charitable Trust (as directed by Carole Haas Gravagno), and the Hamilton Family Foundation, Print Studio is the next phase of our strategic business plan: involve at-risk teens from Philadelphia public schools in the operations of this entrepreneurial social art business to give them marketable job skills while they work towards their GED.

Fresh Artists is grateful to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The CHG Charitable Trust (as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno), and the Hamilton Family Foundation for their generous grants to make this dream a reality!

We will partner with Y.E.S. Philly, an alternative high school program for teens who left traditional schools and have returned to receive their GEDs. Older than typical high schoolers, focused on success, these teens will intern in Print Studio helping with digital printing, art fabrication and all aspects of running an art-based entrepreneurial business. We will offer coaching in portfolio development and the kids will print their own large-format digital artwork for a final exhibition. The professional digital print community will help set up and fine tune the studio’s printing program, welcome the Fresh Artists apprentices with tours of their facilities and hopefully be a potential source of employment for the teens as they graduate.

Pablo stopped for a PBJ at the neat little healthy food cafe in the art-themed complex next to the Pennsylvania Ballet dance studio. An ice sculptor is our neighbor down the hall, as is a glassblower!

Stay tuned to watch the progress of Print Studio! 

The Specialty Graphics Imaging Association of America (SGIA) announced their ground-breaking partnership with Fresh Artists at their annual industry-wide Expo in New Orleans last week. This 50,000 member professional organization representing businesses that print the BIG, HUGE and UNUSUAL graphics you see all over the land has embraced Fresh Artists as their social responsibility partner.  As large-format digital imaging is Fresh Artists’ signature medium to promote art education for children in severely under-resourced public schools, it’s a marriage made in printing heaven!

““Specialty imaging” comprises digital imaging, screen printing and the many other imaging technologies SGIA members use, including those they’ll tap in the future. These are the imaging processes and technologies employed to create new products and to enhance existing products including point-of-purchase displays, printed electronics, membrane switches, signs, advertisements, garments, containers and vehicles. This is a perfect opportunity for SGIA members to use their expertise and imaging capability in support of inner-city education. In addition to supporting education, the program will create future business opportunities for participants while nurturing future talent for our industry. This is a great example of corporate social responsibility and sustainability in action.“, said Michael Robertson, President and CEO of SGIA.

SGIA hosted us as their guests at the October Expo in New Orleans.  We were the featured speaker at the annual dinner Thursday night, and were invited to meet with the Executive Committee of the national SGIA board at their reception Wednesday evening. Spending three days on the 15 acre convention floor meeting with representatives from every major manufacturer of digital imaging and printing equipment was like being a couple of kids in a candy shop!  We learned so much and made a ton of new friends. The folks at HP attracted alot of attention on the floor using some Fresh Artists images as demonstrations for their new equipment.

Barbara Allen and friends from Ergosoft and HP printing our famous "Penguins" by Breya Coverson-Barnes, grade 6

Board member Tim Markley, of Markley Enterprises (below4th from left) in Elkhart Indiana made the first connection with Fresh Artists through a professional discussion group about fine art digital printing (recommended by FA Advisor Rick DeCoyte of Silicon Gallery Fine Art) on Linked-In. He offered to donate some equipment to our new Print Studio workshop where we will work with teen apprentices to print our signature large format reproductions. As soon as Tim learned about our mission and accomplishments, he called Mike Robertson, SGIA President and CEO in Fairfax VA.  It was clear to them that we were the perfect fit…a worthy nonprofit that their industry could get behind in a big way. Their executive board readily agreed, and we were invited to be their guests at their national annual convention in New Orleans.

SGIA leadership celebrating partnership

This partnership opens the entire country up to Fresh Artists. SGIA members are signing up to be Fresh Artists “Print Partners”, agreeing to print and install our large-format digital reproductions in cities across the country. They will use the same standards for resolution, fabrication, mounting and installation that we have created in the Philadelphia region, extending our reach to communities such as Seattle, Denver, New York, Phoenix, Cleveland and Miami.

We are already working with our first Print Partner on an art installation in Denver at Sungate Kids, a child advocacy center in Greenwood Village, just outside Denver. Executive Director Diana Goldberg discovered Fresh Artists through our partnership with the National Children’s Alliance in Washington DC, and was determined to bring our healing, transformational artwork into their new facilities for abused and maltreated children. Before our partnership with SGIA, getting our large artwork out to Denver and installed in their offices would have been challenging. But thanks to our new pal, Ann Brown, president of New Vista Images in Denver (and past National SGIA Chair), this is easy and efficient. Ann will have her staff print and install at Sungate for us!

Many manufacturers of digital printing equipment and supplies are stepping up to donate their products to Fresh Artists to support the new Print Studio we are opening in the next couple of months. This partnership will provide equipment, consumables, expertise and training to our organization as we grow, and its members are potential employers of the inner city teens who come through our apprenticeship programs.

Neschen president/CEO Ernie Brodbeck showing Roger Allen his gift to Fresh Artists, a 54" SEAL laminator

Please click here to read the SGIA press release on this partnership.  We are grateful to SGIA’s Tim Markley, Mike Robertson, Ann and Gordon Brown (incoming SGIA National Chairman) and all the people who have so warmly embraced Fresh Artists with their generosity and enthusiasm for what we are building for creative children.  The sky’s the limit with people and professionals like this behind us!

Tune in this Saturday!

Fresh Artists Founder Barbara Chandler Allen is the opening speaker at 1:00 pm

streaming live on the internet at
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tedxphiladelphiaed

Fresh Artists is thrilled and honored to have an amazing presence at the upcoming TEDx event in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 25. Our founder, Barbara Chandler Allen, has been invited to give the opening TED talk at this event, which takes place at Huntsman Hall at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

The signature large-format digital reproductions of children’s artwork from the Fresh Artists collection will decorate the Baker Forum where the brainstorming activities between sessions will occur. Fresh Artists teens will be acting as the facilitators for this inter-session electronic journaling and art making on six giant interactive kiosks around the Forum.

The vibrant children’s artwork will also grace the iconic giant TEDx logo letters on the stage, along with recreations of Independence Hall, City Hall and the Liberty Bell made by 2nd through 5th graders at Hancock School under the brilliant direction of art teacher Robyn Miller.

Tune in this Saturday at 1:00 pm to watch us reach a global audience with the unique and effective message and mission. Follow the link above!

We are thrilled to announce Fresh Artists is a $75,000 winner in the Miami-based  for “best ideas” in arts innovation. With the additional local match of $75,000 from the CHG Charitable Trust we will develop the Fresh Artists Print Studio where inner city teen apprentices will learn large-format digital art printing by producing our signature Fresh Artists work for corporate client/donors. This is the next step in our original vision to have Fresh Artists be a child-centric philanthropic social business. Thank you, Knight Foundation and Carole Haas Gravagno for taking us into this next, exciting phase of Fresh Artists!

Read more…

And the same day that we won the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, we were covered in a full page article in the Wall Street Journal!
Read on…

Fresh Artists Angel Carole Haas Gravagno with board at Knight Foundation announcement event NEW ART ACQUISITIONS FOR 2011

This year’s new Collection is the strongest ever.  125 new pieces of art have been donated from delightful 2nd grade interpretations of beneficial bacteria to several astonishing charcoal self portraits created in senior art classes. We have invited the Norristown Area School District to join Fresh Artists and 15 students have donated their artwork to this year’s collection.

Self-Portrait by Lawrence Cryor, Norristown Area High School, Grade 12, Charcoal on paper

"Good Bacteria" by Jack Chen, Grade 2, A.S. Jenks ES

Intern Andrew Diemer, Creative & Performing Arts HS helps Laura Bernardo catalogue new accessions

FRESH ARTISTS MAKES THIRD ANNUAL DELIVERY OF ART SUPPLIES TO TEACHERS

We delivered the retail value of more than $17,000 in art supplies to Philadelphia’s most severely under-resourced art teachers this spring. This brings the the total retail value of art supplies delivered in our first three years to $117,000.

Julia deBurgos ES art teacher Jeanne Fontaine collects art supplies from Fresh Artists, with Tessie Varthas of the School District of Philadelphia

COSMIC CAFE AT LLOYD HALL OPENS WITH FRESH ARTWORKS

Chef Peg Botto has been following Fresh Artists for years.  As soon as she sealed the deal to rent riverside space in Lloyd Hall through Fairmount Park, she contacted us for healthy food Sign Studio artwork.  We installed 16 large images…here are tossed salad, club sandwich, tomato soup and garlic made by 3rd thru 5th graders at Hancock ES. Pretty cool, eh?

Upstairs at Cosmic Cafe, Lloyd Hall, Boathouse Row, Philadelphia

SERVICEPOINT USA EXECUTIVE VISITS FRESH ARTISTS

Alex Brame of Service Point USA came down from New York City to see the work his company printed for the Fresh Artists-Barnes Foundation Project Exhibition. The Philadelphia office of Service Point USA provides the high-quality, large-format ink-jet prints that have become Fresh Artists’ signature in the corporate workplace.

Alex Brame of Service Point USA's New York office marveling at Fresh Artists children's interpretations of Cezanne's masterpieces. Holding the "original" child's work, the large-format digital reproduction is on the wall behind them

SIGN STUDIO WORKING ON THEIR FRESH SPRING LINE

The ever-expanding collection of healthy food artwork now includes radishes, asparagus, watermelon, a citrus medley and baby lettuces.  All will be available this summer at the Fresh Artists Virtual Farm Stand!

Radishes by Janine B. and Nina C., grade 6

Kathleen L. with her watermelon in process

SIGN STUDIO KIDS DELIVER THE GOODS

The young artist-philanthropist-entrepreneurs delivered $500 in art supplies to Art teacher Andrew Zimmerman and his 2nd graders at Howe Elementary School in North Philadelphia. This was the culmination of Fresh Artists Sign Studio, the year-long pilot project where 3rd – 5th graders at Hancock Elementary voluntarily made healthy food artwork for a “client”, Weavers Way Co-Operative. Funds were raised to cover the cost of the food signs to be made and installed in the new little grocery store and the kids were honored by the co-op in October. A needy school in North Philadelphia was identified, and the kids delivered the art supplies purchased with funds they raised.  After hauling the hundreds of pounds of supplies into the school, they taught Howe’s second graders how to make the beautiful paper mosaics that Sign Studio has become famous for…thus passing along not only much-needed art supplies but also a precious skill they have acquired from their beloved art teacher, Robyn Miller. It was pretty moving.

We are grateful to professional photographer, Joan Cimino, who volunteered to document this important day for us with sensitivity and skill.  Look at these brilliant photos!  And to talented writer Maureen Neville,who captured the children’s impressions in words. Thank you, Joan and Maureen!

Part of the fun was struggling to carry the pounds of art supplies they brought! photo: Joan Cimino

Fresh Artists' kids help open the Art Kits they brought. photo: Joan Cimino

Marium A. teaches Howe School student her techniques for mosaic magic photo: Joan Cimino

The icy wind whipping down Powelton Avenue just about ripped the huge panels of artwork out of our hands as we unloaded the car. Bringing 15 enormous pieces of children’s artwork into the lobby of Red Cross House created a stir with the folks waiting for their shelter intake interviews. As on most days, the place was full of people seeking warmth, hot food, a dry place to sleep and help with the disaster that just befell their families. Fire, flood, explosions, collapsed houses. This family shelter for disaster victims in West Philadelphia welcomes more than 1,000 desperate people a year to the expert loving care of the Red Cross. This wonderful place is clean, bright, warm and blessed refuge for people who have no where else to go.  But it was BARE. Bare walls. Thousands of square feet of bare walls.

Fresh Artists fixed that! On January 14th, we filled the 33,000 sf two-story shelter with 15 gorgeous, joyful works of art from the Fresh Artists collection. Made and donated by Philadelphia public school children, this collection of art represents all ages, from kindergarten to seniors in high school. It is a permanent gift from Fresh Artists and  made possible through a novel and innovated partnership with some of the region’s most influential corporations and individuals.  Read on….it’s a bit complicated but pretty interesting.

Red Cross House Director Yohan Weerasingha with Fresh Artists Barbara Chandler Allen, and installation crew Roger Allen and Emil Bogdan

Fresh Artists wants tons of people…and kids…to see children’s art.  Really, to SEE the children who made the art. We believe that under-resourced kids are essentially invisible in our society. One of the central tenents of Fresh Artists is to bring the children, their stories, their need for a quality public education, and most importantly, their abilities to the attention of the world. Small goal, eh?

We’ve been really successful filling the halls of corporate America with this extraordinary artwork, raising money to deliver tons of art supplies and innovative art programs to public school kids and giving kids of modest means the opportunity to be real philanthropists in their world…in three years.  But we realized that the kids…and ordinary folks, weren’t seeing this beautiful artwork. Just the people who worked in the “spaces of success”, the big, pretty fancy office buildings.

So we climbed into our “Give Tank” (aka “think tank” which is actually the kitchen table) and brainstormed a new way to get this art out into the community where loads of people can see it and be inspired by these incredible kids. Of course, being an entrepreneurial social business, we had to work in making some money in the process. And include getting more and more business people engaged in Fresh Artists. Easy, eh?

Our January installation at Red Cross House is the culmination of this pilot program! Yippee!

Here’s how it goes…stay with me now…

1- Fresh Artists partnered with World Cafe Live, a snazzy new-music venue and cafe on the Penn campus and home to super-cool public radio station, WXPN. Always jumping with adults and kid’s rock, pop, jazz and folk concerts…the place is a beehive of activity…and complements our “brand”…eg. FRESH!  With the happy encouragement of World Cafe’s founder/owner Hal Real, we filled the place with kid’s art from our collection, and committed to refresh the entire installation every year. The employees of World Cafe Live (chefs, waiters, dishwashers) get to choose the art.

2-We install 15 pieces of Fresh Artists’ large-format reproductions of kid’s art for a year.

3-In the fall, we replace each piece with a new piece, again chosen by vote of the WCL employees!

4-We move the previously-exhibited artwork into a community nonprofit that wants “freshening up”.

And here’s the “Bottom Line”…the money part:
This Fresh Artists’ program is supported by an annual bash at the World Cafe that they host (and pay for!) called “Salon on the Schuykill”.  Our wonderful Business Advisory Council has adopted this event, and takes responsibility for finding 15+ businesses to “adopt” each piece of artwork. Their sponsorship is proudly announced on the wall label of both the NEW art installed at World Cafe Live for the year, as well as with the RECYCLED art installed permanently in the nonprofit community partner.  They are honored at the Salon, and a special art opening at the new community installation (coming soon!)  Suggestions for community partnership are encouraged from our art sponsors. Sponsors also may receive a piece of artwork for their own offices as part of their sponsorship package, as well as eing invited to sit on the Fresh Artists Business Advisory Council to help plan next year’s bash at World Cafe Live!  Cool, eh?

So…..Voila!

• Fresh art for tens of thousands of all ages to enjoy at World Cafe Live
• Fresh art for a severely financially and visually under-resourced charity
• Funds raised to support the innovative art programs and supplies deliveries of Fresh Artists
• Steady stream of engaged and inspired new business people making a difference for kids
• Sponsors receive long-term public recognition in high visibility locations
• Sponsors receive artwork for their own offices with dedication wall label recognition
• Sponsors have a useful networking and client entertainment event that’s informal, fresh and fun

Shouts of “Mine’s over here!” and “Look how big MY picture is!” rang throughout the brand-new Comcast Center’s brilliant 5-story Atrium on May 19th as 87 young artist-philanthropists showed off the large-scale digital reproductions of their artwork to parents, teachers and corporate supporters. Fresh Artists’ second Annual Student Celebration honored the artistic achievement and generosity of these talented kids chosen from K-12 public schools throughout Philadelphia’s inner city.

Gary Steuer, the Mayor’s Chief Cultural Officer of the City of Philadelphia, was this year’s featured speaker, addressing not only the children’s artistic achievements, but also their roles as young philanthropists, “paying it forward” providing art supplies to other children in their city through the donation of their artwork.

Comcast Corporation and Liberty Property Trust invited Fresh Artists to install the entire new 2009 Collection in the Atrium and have it on display for ten days. Honoring both companies’ dedication to sustainability, the art show was installed on a green, 100%-recycled cardboard, portable wall-system provided by local design firm, MIO Culture.

The Barnes Foundation was recognized with the 2009 Fresh Artists Award for their commitment to making art and art education accessible to the children of Philadelphia. A select group of Fresh Artists students have been working with the Barnes to interpret masterpieces from their collection, that will be digitally-reproduced and installed on the fencing on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the Foundation’s two-year construction project. Fifth-grade artist-philanthropists, Alice and Syeed, along with their art teacher, Robyn Miller presented the Barnes’ Director of Education, Blake Bradford, with this year’s commemorative Fresh Artists poster.

The 40 selected young artists were treated to private tours of the Barnes Foundation out in Merion, where they were introduced to the Barnes approach to art history, and then each chose a masterpiece to interpret in acrylics and oil crayon. Alice chose Cezanne’s iconic “Pot of Flowers”, and went to work!

This year, Fresh Artists acknowledged some of the core founding professional partners who helped launched the organization. Professional photographer, Jeffrey Totaro and web designer, Nathaneal Pershall, were both honored for their outstanding contributions to Fresh Artists. Jeffrey donates all the digital photography of both the children’s artwork as well as corporate installations of that artwork. Nate designed, built and maintains the Fresh Artists website as a gift to the creative children of his city.

Art teacher, Darren Umble, of the Potter-Thomas Elementary School, presented the 2009 Inspiration Award to School District of Philadelphia veteran art education administrators, Tessie Varthas (left) and Emilee Taylor (right), for their inspirational leadership and coaching of the more than 200 art teachers in the District.

The Volunteer of the Year Award for Passion was given to uber-volunteer, Nancy Wolff (center below), retired art teacher from Queen Village’s Meredith Elementary School, who has logged hundreds of hours behind the scenes, checking lists, calling teachers, delivering artwork, helping to build Fresh Artists. Nancy was honored with a gift certificate to spend a day at a bead shop, to everyone’s amusement! Wouldn’t a wildly creative person rather spend a day making things than at a day spa!

Each young Fresh Artists wears their own artwork on their “front stage pass” name badge, which enables adult guests to engage the children in spirited discussions of their creative work. The badges exclaim, “I’m making a difference!” and acknowledge the children as the first givers in this unique circle of philanthropy.

The children also receive a limited-edition t-shirt bearing their artwork, as well as a beautifully-framed Certificate of Extraordinary Artistic Achievement. The certificate was designed and donated by the celebrated children’s author, David Macaulay, who used an interesting array of colored, torn paper as a border for the certificate, with a wink and a nod to “process”, which is the underlying objective Fresh Artists supports with art supplies! Fresh Artists Advisory Council member, Jennifer Braxton, of IKEA, graciously donates the lime-green picture frames each year.

Chef John Gallagher, Head of Pastry Arts at the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, baked and donated 600 Fresh Artists’ signature palette sugar cookies for the children and their guests!

Fresh Artists believes that art is a canvas that provides hope, purpose and voice to future generations of creative thinkers. We honor these creative, generous children!

Please read Chris Hepp’s wonderful article about Fresh Artists on the front page of the business section.

Philadelphia Inquirer article on Fresh Artists, 4/10/09

Thank you, Chris, for telling our story in such a beautiful way. And thank you to all the extraordinary people who so generously volunteer their time, talent and treasure to build this innovative organization.