Palates to Palettes celebrates at COOK!

  • Oliva
  • José
  • Shayla
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  • img 4467
  • Sydney Louise
  • Chef Ari
  • Ari and Deva
  • dessert
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Shayla, Olivia and José, students of master art teacher Deva Watson at Wissahickon Charter School, were feted last night at COOK, Philadelphia's state of the art kitchen-classroom. Chef Ari Miller, of Food Underground and Chef Syndey Louise, of Will byob, were the chefs for the sumptuous dinner we enjoyed, prepared before our very eyes! It was a celebration worthy of the students' yearlong effort, with participating chefs, food stylists, and other Palates to Palette's VIP's applauding the students' stunning artwork. The celebration honored the artists, as well as the chefs, photographers, food stylists and designers who donated their time to the program.

The journey from palate to palette

The children's began their journey last fall in at the Philadelphia Museum of Art​  looking at famous still-life paintings. They then visit the restaurants of several acclaimed chefs and join them on a tour of their kitchens. As guests of the chef, the children were served the chef’s signature dish for lunch and then sketched a tableau of the meal in preparation for their final artwork project. Also during their visit, they learned about the chef’s career path. The three restaurants that served as inspiration for the children this year were Granite Hill at the Philadelphia Museum of ArtKensington Quarters and Abe FisherDizengoff

Award winning program 

Palates to Palettes is the brainchild of art teacher Deva Watson, who works part-time as a restaurant server. She wanted her students to have a fine dining experience and learn how creative and fulfilling culinary careers can be.  Honed and fine-tuned in Fresh Artists's Greenhouse, a think tank for innovative art teachers, the program has now achieved significant acclaim in the Philadelphia area and beyond.  But the true test of its success, says teacher Deva Watson, is the change parents see in their children.  To hear more, listen to this audio story.