Fresh Artists Blog 

“The May 19th kick off of your ambitious and most welcome endeavor, Fresh Artists, was terrific.”

As I came through the door, a young man named Rodney Clerge smiled at me and said, “I’m so glad to see you here.” He was one of your “Fresh Artists” and one of my favorite and most talented students from when I was teaching at Roosevelt Middle School.  He is now a junior at Central High School.

I can remember all he ever wanted to do was to draw with fine line roller pens. He drew on everything including his shoes.  I must have bought him a hundred of those pens over the course of the two years he was my student. 

It sure paid off.  I couldn’t have been more proud of him if he were my own son.  I thought he would make an extraordinarily good medical illustrator.  He is smart and can accurately pick out and draw the finest of details.  He says he is leaning towards architecture.  Seeing a student continue to pursue his talent is what makes teaching Art so rewarding and worthwhile.  Congratulations on launching this great event and thank you for Fresh Artists!  

All most kids need is a little encouragement                                                                     and the materials to do it.  ”

Judy Becker, Art Teacher, Greenfield Elementary School

Rodney Clerge, Graphite on paper, 2008

Fresh Artists, a new, independent non-profit organization dedicated to providing art supplies to under-resourced Philadelphia public schools, was officially launched at the organization’s first annual May Celebration drawing more than 400 enthusiastic art donors and their admirers.

Barbara Chandler Allen, the organization’s founder and executive director, was inspired to create Fresh Artists based on experiences she had as an arts consultant from 2005 to 2007. At the time, Chandler Allen was responsible for creating a permanent display of student art in the School District of Philadelphia’s then-brand new 850,000 sf. Education Center headquarters at 440 N. Broad Street. The photographic blow-ups of original  student art now permanently affixed to the walls range in dimensions from 30 by 40 inches to 6 by 9 feet. “So many people told me, ‘I’d like to own one of those,’ that I came to realize that there was a market for these vibrant, exciting images that could fund artmaking in inner city schools struggling with massive cutbacks in arts funding,” Chandler Allen explained.

Developed as a “Pay It Forward” program for inner city kids, Fresh Artists has two audiences—school students who donate (license) their art to be photographed and enlarged to raise funds for other children, and corporate donors, whose “thank yous” for contributions of $500 or more to Fresh Artists are large-scale digital reproductions of their choosing from their growing archive of almost 200 prize-winning student art works.

First distribution of art supplies to occur January 2009!

The contributions to Fresh Artists provide art supplies from the organization directly to participating Philadelphia public school Art teachers beginning in January 2009, barely one year from the organization’s founding.   Each Philadelphia public school Art teacher who registers with Fresh Artists by November 17th, 2008 will receive a pre-paid, personal on-line ordering account with Fresh Artists‘ national art supplies retail catalog partner.  Once teachers have placed their order, their art supplies will be delivered directly to them at their school.

Artist-Philanthropist with her “front stage pass

Kids “Pay It Forward” to other kids through art

The students who have donated use of their art images, and their parents, are thrilled to be part of this innovative concept.  Evelyn Jones, whose daughter, Joy Alexander, a student at Middle Years’ Alternative School, eagerly agreed to donate the use of her art to Fresh Artists, said, “To have my daughter’s artwork displayed in someone’s business is a treat in itself. It’s special knowing that her picture will raise money to help other kids who express themselves through their artwork. I’m so proud of Joy. To have someone acknowledge her art as a great is so moving to me. She’s living the dream I once had for myself, and that’s wonderful! “

Luminaries in art, leadership and business honored

At the May 2008 kickoff, Fresh Artists also honored patrons whose support has expanded access to art-making to children in Philadelphia.  The honorees were: Nelson Shanks, internationally prominent realistic portrait painter and founder of Studio Incamminati, Elizabeth Dow, ceramic artist and President of Leadership Philadelphia creator of the city-wide Pay It Forward movement which was the impetus for founding Fresh Artists, and Saul Ewing, a law firm that is a leader in support for the arts in Philadelphia and is the founding corporate partner of Fresh Artists.

Gifts for our young artist-philanthropists

Student Artist-Philanthropists were presented with t-shirts bearing their art work, framed Certificates of Artistic Achievement created for the event by famous children’s author and illustrator, David Macaulay, and special “front stage passes” with full color reproductions of their art images to identify the young artists to all attendees.   Six hundred Fresh Artists signature sugar cookies were made and donated by the Restaurant School and IKEA donated the bright green frames for the certificates.  Professional photographers Jeff Totaro, Heather Guidice, Pam Davidson, Lawrie Harris and the Big Picture Alliance all donated their time and talent to document the event. The event was generously underwritten by Binswanger, The Glenmede Trust, Saul Ewing LLP, Tevebaugh Architects, Tierney Communications, and Service Point USA.

  

Art Palette Cookies from the Restaurant School