Fresh Artists Blog 

The 1200 sf space in Sherman Mills Art Community in East Falls is perfect for Fresh Artists! Bright, sunny and easy access for trucks moving large panels of vibrantly colored children’s artwork in and out. Surrounded on one side by an active glassblowing studio with blast furnaces going 24-7 to the ice sculptor across the hall moving giant 500 lb  eagles to install at sports banquets…we are excited to begin the work of turning a raw space into a habitable, hospitable teaching studio and new home for Fresh Artists! Funded by a generous grant from the the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,  Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia Grant 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 teen interns from Philadelphia public schools in Fresh Artists’ operations to introduce them to the business of art and digital printing and to give them valuable work experience and marketable job skills while they work towards their GED.

First step was to have it painted…floor, ceiling and walls. Then the team of volunteers came to transform it.

We had to have a lot of vision to see what this could become!

Lookin’ good! Empty!

Brothers Gardner and Roger Allen  take down useless walls and old storage racks to make way for the new open workspace plan.

Helen Diemer of The Lighting Practice and Electrical Wizardry’s John Siemiarowski, volunteer to do the lighting and wiring plan. This place is going to be awesome with pros like this involved!

Then the huge printers started to arrive!  HP donated a 44″ DJZ-5200 PostScript and a 60″ L26500 Latex printer to use as teaching equipment for our teen interns and to bring some of our printing needs in house!

More volunteer donors: Roger with Nicole Carville of Haworth corporate furniture, Kim King, Project Lighting Designer from The Lighting Practice and Bob Reid, President of Elevate Architects and Collaborators collaborate around the form and function of our Print Studio. New walls are going up!

Now this is starting to look like something!

Thanks to Susan Berntheisal, Graphic Solutions Business Manager of HP, we are now the proud owners of TWO magnificent ink jet printers (see above)! Fresh Artists was introduced to Susan at the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association (SGIA) annual national Expo in New Orleans in October.  Thank you, HP and Susan! We can’t wait to fire them up and start printing!

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

We have just completed an enormous installation of 170 pieces of our children’s artwork at Safe Shores, a Child Advocacy Center on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Michele Booth Cole, Executive Director of Safe Shores, discovered Fresh Artists when we were exhibiting our program at the national leadership conference of the National Children’s Alliance in May. Safe Shores, a 40,000 sf. state of the art facility caring for children who have been sexually abused and maltreated, had just been finished, and the had miles of clean, blank walls crying for artwork! We thank Michele for inviting Fresh Artists into this amazing place of healing and care.

Safe Shores occupies the former Bundy Elementary School in NW DC

Hallways were transformed

The Safe Shores staff voted on their favorite artwork from the Fresh Artists’ collection and artist-philanthropist Sara Hendrix, Creative Director Roger Allen and founder Barbara Chandler Allen assisted them in placing their choices throughout the building. Stairwells, hallways and treatment rooms were transformed with vibrant welcoming artwork.

"Silly City" tableau by 2nd and 3rd graders

Children welcome children at reception desk

Children are greeted with three beautiful faces of children made by third graders when they enter the building. These faces send a clear a message to the children that this is a child-centered, safe place. Every room they enter has a piece of artwork made by a kindergarten through 12th grader. Wall labels tell the artist’s name and grade, assuring the children that this is “their place”.

Safe Shores Executive Director Michele Booth Cole with Fresh Artists installation team in front of Amanda Long's artwork

As confidentiality is so important in a CAC, we had to install the artwork during hours that there were no clients in the building. Our high school intern, volunteer Andrew Diemer, helped us install the bulk of artwork over the Labor Day weekend.  Fresh Artists installation technicians Hilary Merzbacher and Quincy Ellis, both graduates of Rhode Island Design, were on the installation team as well. We installed 137 pieces in three days and nights. When we returned over the Halloween weekend to finish the job with an additional 33 pieces, we heard stories from Safe Shores staff about the strong impact the artwork had on the children who came for forensic interviews, examinations, treatment and therapy…but also the impact the artwork had on the staff. “The artwork has brought a visual message of hope into the building. The images are positive, brilliant, and comforting. It is uplifting in a place that sees great sadness,” a veteran social worker told us.  We were all moved by the stories we heard while working there, and very proud that we could in some way help the thousands of children who will come through Safe Shores each year.

Shereen Williams, DC Public Schools, toured the artwork with Fresh Artists founder, Barbara Chandler Allen and Executive Director Michele Booth Cole

Staff breakroom with fresh food series

6th grader's inspiration from Georgia O'Keefe brightens up a workstation

"rainbow map" greets people as they enter the auditorium

The artwork was made possible by a grant from the Washington Children’s Foundation.

Although Fresh Artists was designed as primarily as a corporate art program, our vision was to also help nonprofits serving vulnerable children. That time has come and we are busy filling child advocacy centers like Safe Shores in DC, the Bucks County Child Advocacy Center, the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance and the Willow Tree Center in Green Bay Wisconsin with the healing, transformative artwork of our generous, caring children.

Reception room at Philadelphia Children's Alliance CAC

Photo credits: Seth Shimkonis, Roger Allen

Fresh Art-vocates assembled at World Cafe Live for the Second Annual Salon on the Schuylkill.  This annual fundraising event showcases new art installed for a year-long exhibition in public spaces throughout this popular new music cafe/cabaret. The World Cafe Live staff, waiters, dishwashers, chefs and bartenders vote on the art they want on their walls from the more than 500 pieces in the Fresh Artists collection. The art installed last year will be removed and re-installed as a gift to Red Cross House at 40th and Powelton Avenue in West Philadelphia, a family shelter for disaster victims.  We were pleased to have Donna Palmieri, COO and Interim CEO of Southeastern PA Red Cross Chapter attend the Friday Salon event. She expressed her delight and gratitude for being chosen as recipient of Fresh Artist’s artwork, “This beautiful and inspirational artwork will bring so much pleasure to the families staying in our Red Cross House Center for Disaster Recovery. The images are positive, bright and most importantly, hopeful.  I can’t wait to see the artwork displayed on the walls throughout the Red Cross House and the joy the artwork will bring to the children and adults recovering from a disaster at our transitional housing facility!”

Thanks to our generous Salon Sponsors: Anapol, Schwartz, Elliott-Lewis Corporation, Robert and Marcy Fenza, The Glenmede Trust Company, Goodwin College of Professional Studies, Drexel University, Hangley, Aronchick, Segal and Pudlin, Haworth, In Posse, LLC, Martin Banks, The Neiman Group, SAP, Pearl Pressman Liberty Communications Group, Steelcase Philadelphia: Steelcase GCC, Coalesse, Designtex, Corporate Interiors. Their sponsorship makes it possible for more than 170,000 people a year to have the pleasure of seeing this brilliant children’s artwork by placing “fresh” art into World Cafe and moving the “retired” artwork out  to our community partner, Red Cross House.

Advisory Board President Bob Reid of Elevate Architects + Collaborators with Fresh Artists president, Barbara Chandler Allen

Fresh Artists board member Heather Gibson with Advisory Council’s Jim Pinheiro of Pearl Pressman Liberty

Laresha Williams (CAPA ’14), stopped by with her aunt, and enjoyed seeing the artwork that she donated to Fresh Artists when she was in 7th grade reproduced as large digital prints.  Her interpretations of Matisse’s Red Madras Headdress” and di Chirico’s Portrait of Dr. Barnes, were part of the Fresh Artists-Barnes Foundation Partnership Project.

Laresha‘s artwork was part of a specially designed interactive photo-booth experience called “Silly Salon” created for the party by Seth Shimkonis, Rachael Lufkin of Jihm Booth with design assistance from Fresh Artists co-founder, Roger Allen.  Images on the backdrop were selected from the Fresh Artists collection of mini-masterpieces interpreted from the Barnes Foundation Collection by K through 7th graders under the guidance of art teachers Robyn Miller (Hancock Elementary) and Evelyn Bock (Henry Elementary). Photoshopped into digital reproductions of glorious gold-leafed museum-quality picture frames from Godel & Co. in New York, the pictures recreated a turn of the century French “salon” with heavy currant-colored drapes, and fun props like mustaches, top hats and chalk boards that became customized “speech bubbles” for event guest hilarity.

More than 300 people attended this year’s event, and enjoyed drinksand hors d’oeuvres graciously provided by Lisa Margraff, Food and Beverage Manager of World Cafe Live, and live music donated by the ten-piece hip hop band, Wyld Lyfe (Semaj Worrell and Crew) and Brooklyn’s Double Rainbow (Gardner Allen and Tim Laursen) complete with 5 outrageous automated robotic drummers!

Thank you to the Business Advisory Council, led by architect Bob Reid of Elevate Architects + Collaborators for adopting the Salon as their project: Jennifer Braxton (IKEA), Nicole Carville (Haworth), Rob Diemer (In Posse), Rosemarie Fabien (Fabien Communications), Lauren Fantini (Caroselli, Beachler), Heather Gibson (Sentry Art Advisory Services), Ken Johnson (Glaxo Smith Kline), Valerie Lagauskas (Event Navigators), Lori Morrissey (SAP), Jim Pinheiro (Pearl Pressman Liberty), Suzanne Schwartz (Tasty Baking Company), Suzanne Turk (Goodwin College, Drexel), Jerri Williams (SEPTA), Susan Yeager (Arch Insurance Group).

Fresh Artists co-founder and creative director Roger Allen with Merry Wiggins, Fresh Artists Clothesline Art Show project coordinator

Thanks to the to the wonderful board and staff of Fresh Artists: Nancy Wolff, Heather Gibson, Christine James, Laura Bernardo, Roger Allen, Merry Wiggins, Steve Trueman and our amazingly talented and delightful intern from CAPA, Andrew Diemer!  Here are a bunch of terrific photographs courtesy of the following photographers who donated their professional services for the event:  Seth  Shimkonis and Rachael Lufkin of JIHM BOOTH and Viviana Pernot.

Suzanne Schwartz (Tasty Baking), Susan Yeager (Arch Insurance)

DiD Marketing

Maya Glavin, Liz Trost and Tim Laursen

Hancock Art teacher, Robyn Miller and B. Allen

Janine, Jason and Fresh Artists board member Christine James

Fresh Artists Project Assistant Laura Bernardo and author of Pablo, the Philly Philanthropist Steve Trueman

Clothesline Coordinator Merry Wiggins with CAPA intern Andrew Diemer

The Neiman Group, Fresh Artists Media partner

Double Rainbow (Tim Laursen, Gardner Allen and The Robot Drummers)

Fresh Artists Business Advisory Council members Jim Pinheiro (Pearl Pressmen) and Jennifer Braxton (IKEA)

Kindergarten artist-philantropist Kaitlyn Deng's artwork

Helen Diemer (The Lighting Practice) and Tom Normile (Keast and Hood Engineers)

Florcy Morrisett and friends with third grader Akayla Denmark-Howard's Sunflowers

Laresha's aunt, Laresha, and Barbara Allen

At the request of many Fresh Artists friends, we are introducing several exciting new art-embellished products featuring the children’s artwork at our annual funds & friendraising event at the World Cafe Live Friday, October 22.

We have put a new spin on the classic “memory” game by designing three signature sets using artwork from our collection. . The heirloom sets of brightly colored artwork decoupaged by hand onto 2″ polished hardwood tiles and glazed with a high-gloss acrylic are packaged in a recycled paper box and include the mission of Fresh Artists and a list of the young artist-philanthropists who donated their artwork to help other children. These charming handmade game sets are crafted by a volunteer cadre of dedicated retired art teachers who are committed to supporting Fresh Artist by making art, staying in touch with each other and mentoring new teachers!

Fresh Faces Memory Game

Fresh Faces features 16 bright faces in mosaic, oil crayon, watercolor and block printing from Lady Liberty done by a seventh grade Masterman School student to a vibrant self-portrait oil pastel by a graduating senior from the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). For an additional donation, we will customize your game set by inserting two photograph faces of your own choice…your children, parents or favorite animals!

Fresh Food is a tribute to healthy eating featuring the new Sign Studio Collection of paper mosaic fruits and veggies designed for interior signage in local organic food cooperatives.  Blueberries, peppers, a club sandwich and trout tiles in jewel tones make playing this game both fun and educational for youngsters learning to make healthy eating choices.

Fresh Food Memory Game - luscious images of healthy choices

Fresh Art is the set of tiles highlighting the favorite pieces from our collection like Penguins, Dancing Koi, City Blocks (a Cubist take on Philadelphia’s “Old City” with the Ben Franklin bridge in the background), a star “mini-Matisse” from our Barnes Foundation partnership, and the now-famous kindergarten piece, “Seven Ants on My Pizza”!

Fresh Art - favorites from our Collection

The Fresh Artists Memory Games are the perfect inter-generational activity…a charming activity for the upcoming holidays. As engaging to grandparents as it is to very young children, these sets are magnets bringing all ages together at your holiday table.

We are offering four exquisitely matted and framed reproductions, printed on rag paper by Silicon Graphics Fine Art Prints for the first time. Alexandra Valles‘ popular drawing of the city skyline, City Crane, and Sara Hendrix’ moving self portrait of her grandmother holding Sara as an infant will be available at the event as special orders for holiday gifts.  Fifth grader Matthew Ryncyzk’s brilliant interpretation of Soutine’s 1919 masterpiece from the Barnes Foundation, The Little Pastry Cook, is breathtaking and would make any a fascinating gift for any art lover or passionate “foodie”.  Rounding out our first framed collection is a group of four luscious fruits and vegetables from the Sign Studio Collection, “The Fresher the Better”, by 3rd and 4th grade artist-philanthropists…perfect for a kitchen or breakfast room wall.

Offered as matted and framed print on rag paper, classic black wooden frame, for special order at Salon event

Our first children’s book, Pablo the Philly Philanthropist, will also be available, with the author, Steve Trueman, and the illustrator, Gardner Allen, present at the World Cafe Live to personalize and autograph your purchases for a special child.  Two special edition t-shirts have been commissioned for the event, the healthy food “Fresher the Better” graphic and a handsome dark gray Fresh Artists logo tee.

Thanks to our generous friends at Pearl Pressman Liberty Communications Group, the 2011 Fresh Artists Executive Desk Calendar will again be available at our Salon event.  A personal miniature art-gallery-on your-desk, this beautifully printed, sophisticated 12-month calendar shows off the artwork of exceptionally talents kids from kindergarden through 12th grade. A great gift for anyone, make sure to get one for yourself!

One stop shopping for innovative and meaningful gifts for your holiday gift-giving! Some quantities are limited. Come early for the best selection.

from a tiny backyard birthday "Clothesline"...

to a huge community “Clothesline” at the Chestnut Hill “Fall for the Arts” street festival

we’re off and running with our new grassroots initiative in children’s philanthropy!

When Juliana turned 9, she asked for an “art” birthday party and wanted to help other children less fortunate than she. Fresh Artists provided a template for a small, simple art activity for 8 young girls to do at the sleep-over, and was such a success the girls went right back to making the bright paper mosaics as soon as they awoke the next morning. After pinning their artwork up on the clothesline, they invited their parents to view their show, and make donations for art supplies for children in severely under-resourced public schools in the inner city. Proud to send in their donation, the girls had fun and were thrilled to know they provided watercolor sets for a whole class of elementary school children through their generosity.

The First Annual Chestnut Hill Fresh Artists Clothesline Art Show and Sale was also a smash success. More than 400 children donated their artwork for the benefit of under resourced public schools and generated over $800 in donations.  26 private and public schools answered the “call for donations” as well as many home-schooled children throughout the area. Weavers Way Coop sponsored the event, and provided refreshments for the Sign Studio children who made the artwork decorating their new grocery store.

Sign Studio artists with their artwork installation in the produce department of Weavers Way Food Coop

Patrons from Rotary and Electrical Wizardry honor the generous children

young artist-philanthropist hanging her art

Our message to the world is clear and unequivocal!

Kids were our biggest customers for art!

Volunteers Sue Davis and Ken Johnson with Fresh Artists founder Barbara Chandler Allen

Thanks go to our generous patrons of Sign Studio: The Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill, Electrical Wizardry, Inc, and Carol Tyler for making this innovative pilot project possible.  Also thanks are due to the Terrific Clothesline Team, Merry Wiggins, Andrew Diemer, Evelyn and Hoagie Bock, Sue Davis, Ken Johnson, Anne Galbally, Lucretia Robbins, Roger Allen, Robyn Miller, Eileen Rudnick, Valerie van Pham, Dylan Spellman-Hall, and the Weavers Way team led by Glenn Bergman, Annette Aloe, Pat Evans, and Kim Spellman-Hall.

Any child, family, scout group or school interested in holding their own Clothesline Art Show and Sale, please call us at 215-920-3317 and we will provide all kinds of help to you.