When we walked into the Fine Arts Building on the Rutgers Camden campus last week, we took a deep inhale. Because we were blown away! Tacked up on large, folding display boards in the foyer was the neighborhood of North Camden – as interpreted through the creativity of kids in the summer IGNITE program, taught by art teacher George Apotsos. He and his two classes of 5-7th grade children spent 8 weeks sketching, painting and . . . . having fun!

George and veteran Fresh Artist art teacher-guru Robyn Miller, drove around the city earlier this summer and photographed houses in North Camden. The kids used the photos as the springboard for their creations.

Says George, “We got permission to use a real studio in the campus arts building. The kids were impressed: it was a college setting, we had aprons. Many of them were fabulous with paint, showing details with small brushes. They were really into it.”

The partnership began in early summer with a workshop for art teachers in the Fresh Artists studio, where we met George.

The workshop marked the placement of the final puzzle piece in our original business plan, formulated in 2007. From our founding we had designed Fresh Artists to begin with a regional focus, with a presence in Philadelphia, Norristown, Chester and . . . . Camden….then include children and schools throughout the country. We said we would never allow the river to be an impediment.

We are building strong partnerships in Camden. Our first and core partner is Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, in downtown Camden. Established in 2012, this brand-new four-year medical school emphasizes developing and validating comprehensive systems of healthcare for underserved populations. The school approached us about installing our signature children’s artwork created as the unifying feature of their interior decoration plan. We knew immediately we had found a strong ally.

We have since created partnerships with several local institutions: Rutgers/Camden, Mastery Charter Schools, the Catholic Partnership schools, Kipp/New Jersey and Coopers Ferry CDC. We are eager to bring our support to the children of Camden, a city where 42 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

George will continue Camden’s “Silly City” (our name for Robyn Miller’s brilliant idea) in the fall, when he will be teaching art in two after-school programs. He plans to team up with the science teacher to support the students in researching the history of the iconic Camden buildings they draw. We’ve asked that the children tackle the riverfront as well, with their deliver-ful, wacky renditions of tug boats, Tall Ships and freighters that ply their river!   

We’re excited to see what they come up with, aren’t you?!!