Babes Recreate the Masters
By R. STICKNEY
Updated 1:52 PM PST, Mon, May 11, 2009
Babies as young as six months old were stripped down to their diapers and parts of their bodies were rolled in paint. In the toddler rooms, children took their paintbrushes and worked along with teachers to fill in the patterns on the canvas.
It's been a busy few weeks at the Kids on Broadway child care in downtown San Diego.
The center's director, Monique German, selected several prints from some of the great artists - Warhol, Pollock, O'Keefe, to name a few - and presented them to the faculty members as suggestions for this year's art auction for Angelmans Syndrome. Not one teacher balked at the possibility of replicating the prints. Instead, they got to work.
Some teachers even incorporated their specific artists into the curriculum. Yes, preschoolers learned about Jackson Pollock's techniques. In the end, the children completed the work as a group - each able to point out the cloud they worked on or the section of bird.
But these aren't your typical stick-it-on-the-fridge-and-try-to-identify-it preschool drawings. These pieces really look like the originals. And the center is banking on that. The faculty takes the proceeds from the annual auction and donates them to the Angelmans Syndrome Foundation.
The neuro-genetic disorder first came to the center's attention when Ryan Ravellette started attending the school several years ago. The former student lives with Angelmans Syndrome and has since grown up and moved out, so to speak. But his parents are still a part of the Kids on Broadway family and so the auction, walk, dinner fundraisers, continue to help support them and their son.
Last year, the sale of the paintings raised $2,000. This year, German hopes to top that amount.
At the 'Big Reveal' Friday -- when the students got to see their pieces displayed for their parents -- it seemed like the Warhol may be the crowd favorite. Time will tell.
The artwork will be on display at a gallery at Liberty Station, ARTS: A Reason to Survive, 2820 Roosevelt Road, Suite 106. For more information on hours call (619) 297-2787.
For more information on the art auction or to place bids, contact Monique German at Kids on Broadway, Family Solutions, at (619) 557-3431.
First Published: May 11, 2009 8:56 AM PST
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