The non-profit Fresh Artists organization (freshartists.org) has found a way to teach children to become philanthropists. Children (grades K-12) donate their artwork to corporations across the country and, in return, these organizations make a donation to Fresh Artists, which uses the contributions to purchase art supplies for inner-city art teachers.
“This program is not just about delivering art supplies,” says Barbara Chandler Allen, Fresh Artists founder and executive director. “It’s about empowering children to bring about bold change in the world – for both the children who create the artwork and for those who see it around the world.”
Scanning of the original art is donated by Silicon Gallery Fine Art Prints and Profiles Fine Art Printmaking. Service Point USA (servicepointusa.com) outputs the images using its HP Designjet Z6100 printer onto HP Satin Instant-Dri Photo Paper, which is then adhered to 3/16-inch 3A Composites’ Gatorfoam. The prints are available in three sizes: 30 x 40 inches, 40 x 60 inches and 6 x 9 feet.
For finishing, stand-off systems are secured to the backs of the mounted reproductions with high-bond tape; the prints are attached to walls with 3-inch screws. Each piece of displayed art is identified with a 3 x 5-inch museum-quality label featuring the child’s name and a description of the original artwork’s size and medium.
To date, Fresh Artists has built a curated collection of 840 pieces of art that have been donated by nearly 700 children. In addition to empowering children as philanthropists, Fresh Artists Print Studio provides a teaching laboratory to introduce at-risk teens to the business of large-format digital printing.
FRESH ARTISTS
www.freshartists.org
SERVICE POINT USA
www.servicepointusa.com