|
|
|
Museum Quality Art Works Visit Woodridge Primary School By Don Jovich, Cuyahoga Falls News-Press Reporter February 3, 2002 |
|
Woodridge Primary School received a special visit from art collector and distinguished musician, Christian Thomas Lee, who brought with him several prized pieces of art that would usually only be viewed at an art or historical museum. |
 |
|
The special two-day event, Art in Schools, included a collection of fine art ranging from cubist and impressionistic paintings to rare objects dating back 500 years. Lee serves as director of Art in Schools, a national art collection based in Washington, D.C. "Only through history and its reflective art, do we have the opportunity to learn, grow and become well-informed, cultured, diverse people," said Barb Wernet, Woodridge Primary School art teacher. Her students got a first-hand look at several original art objects from throughout history, seeing them up-close, in-person and without any protective cases. Examples included: Pablo Picasso's (1881-1973) "Pour Bernard" (1954) Guauche on paper, 18 x 21.75 inches. The drawing was signed by Picasso in the lower right corner and was acquired from a private collection. The drawing of a circus clown was originally composed as a poster for a travelling circus. Lee explained goauche (pronounced "gwash") is similar to watercolor paints but the pigment does not bleed into the paper as with watercolors. "If you look at this, you can see where Picasso drew so fast that his pen skipped on the (clown's) upper left-hand cheek," said Lee. Lee noted most of the drawing was done with one painterly line, with Picasso not lifting his pen from the paper until the drawing was complete. He explained to students that Picasso, a native of Spain, was the most influential artist of the 20th century. Clyde Leon Keller's (1872-1962) famed "Hills of Lavender" painted in 1930 by the noted American Impressionist specific to the California school. "Impressionism is drawing what the eye sees and not what the mind knows," said Lee. |
 From the Original 1832 Death Mask by G. Bullock at Abbotsford Lifesize, Plaster, From the Laurence Hutton Collection, Princeton University, Acquired from Sotheby's, New York The Christian Thomas Lee Collection of Fine Art |
Famed goldsmith to the court of Imperial Russia, Peter Carl Fabergé, hand-crafted a priceless one-of-a-kind silver-gilt tea glass spoon fashioned in 1908, a spoon the Czar used to stir his tea. According to Lee, it took Fabergé himself, around 200 hours to craft the cloisionné and enamel spoon specifically commissioned by the Russian Czar. Lee explained the spoon was probably used once and never again. The piece was originally acquired from Sotheby's auction house in London. "There's alot of history here," said Lee. Another commissioned piece, a Fabergé Egg that was an Easter gift from the house of Fabergé given to Czar Nicholas of Russia for his wife was the "Imperial Rose Bud Egg" created in 1895. The jeweled-egg is made from enamel, metal and Austrian Crystal. Inside the Fabergé Egg is a yellow rose bud that gently rests inside the shell. And inside of the yellow rose bud rests a delicately-jeweled full-length necklace. The death mask of Scottish poet and novelist Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) created upon his death in 1832. Lee explained, before the advent of the camera, often times when someone famous died, people would make a cast mask of their faces in wet plaster. The face on the white mask looks like it is sleeping, having the eyes closed. |
|
Art in Schools "The constructive use of riches is far better than their possession," Lee said, whose Art in Schools project has been in existence for the past five years and reaches about 50,000 children each year. "Only 25 percent of third-graders have accessto the fine arts and the older they get the lower that percentage becomes," said Lee. "I've been collecting (art) for 15 years, but now, the only art I acquire is specifically for the benefit of children. If I can't find something fascinating for a child to understand about it, I won't acquire the work." The mission of The Christian Thomas Lee Collection of Fine Art is to serve in a collaborative process, with select schools and professional arts organizations. In integrating the fine arts into the classroom setting for the educational and inspirational benefit of children. "John F. Kennedy said, 'The life of the arts is hardly distracting, but central in the education of children," said Lee. The presentation at Woodridge was made possible by the Woodridge Local School District and the Suzuki Association of Northern Ohio. SANO executive director Bridget Jankowski was actively involved in arranging Lee's presentation at Woodridge. "His mission is much the same as ours, a philosophy of learning through art and music, and we were happy to act as a forum for his Art in School's presentation," said Jankowski. "The success of this collaboration has paved the way for the possibility for upcoming programs and events." In addition to collecting art, Lee is also a classical concert guitarist who studied under the Japanese classical guitarist Koichiro Koshikadake. Lee has toured on the international concert circuit for more than 10 years with audiences that have included royalty, U.S. presidents, foreign dignitaries and captains of industry. In conclusion, "Bullfight," a musical selection from Lee's classical repertoire, was performed. A Spanish-influenced piece full of feeling and emotion pleased his younger audience. It was a picture painted in sound by the classically trained guitarist. According to Lee, Art in Schools, is about inspiring young people today to find, explore and manifest their creative potentials. "An inspired life is a life with hope, direction and meaning.""I think instinctively, teachers and school administrators, understand we have culturally bankrupted our younger generations and I think they seem to understand what Picasso said, that inside of every child is an artist. The trick was to keep the artist there when they became an adult," said Lee. |