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Priceless collection to tempt students with taste of fine arts Classical guitarist and collector taps world of art to teach local kids vanishing culture By Ray Glass, Avalanche Journal |
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Christian Thomas Lee won't bring his entire art collection to Honey Elementary School next week, but students should prepare to be dazzled nonetheless. The students will see original artwork by Picasso and Rembrandt, a Faberge teaspoon made for the Czar of Russia, historical documents including the pardon of President Nixon and artifacts from the Titanic. |
 Wednesday, April 17, 1912 with illustration of lost child onboard. Acquired from EAC Gallery, New York The Christian Thomas Lee Collection of Fine Art |
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In all, about 30 pieces of the private Christian Thomas Lee Collection of Fine Art will be shown to students Monday through Friday. Lee will attend the weeklong session and discuss the art and historical items with students. He described some of the art work as "absolutely priceless." |
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Historical works Historical documents and artifacts and art work from the private collection of Christian Thomas Lee scheduled to be shown to students at Honey and Waters elementary schools next week. - Military commission signed by King George III of England in 1804 - Treaty between the British Empire and the Prussian Empire signed by King George IV in 1824 - Watergate Inaugural invitation signed by President Nixon
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"It's not monetary value that makes this extraordinary," he said Tuesday. "It's the fact that someone has figured out a way to share the asset with children." Lee and the collection will also be at Waters Elementary School for one day. "He lets you hold a Picasso. It's a unique experience," said Plainview educator Rob Knight, who first invited Lee to visit West Texas schools in January 2002. It's all part of Lee's effort to give children a glimpse of fine arts, which he said have be come "a lost discipline in education today." |
 with students during a day of Art in Schools |
 11 x 15 inches, Marked Roman, Roman Province Acquired from and Researched by Sotheby's, London The Christian Thomas Lee Collection of Fine Art |
"I think our children today are being raised in a cultural Chernobyl," said Lee, a classical guitarist who has played a number of private concerts in Lubbock. "Britney Spears, Madonna, the Osbournes - they are set up as great cultural icons, and I think that's tragic. "In our society, our failure to retain a very strong commitment to the fine arts is really costing us. My experience is that, no matter where I go, children are starved for wholesome culture." Lee said he asked to return to Honey Elementary for one week after visiting the school on Jan. 31, 2002. Students were introduced to art by Picasso, the oil painting titled "Christ On The Mount Of Olives" and the Faberge spoon during that visit. "He talked to them about staying in school, being good students, working hard and staying away from drugs," Honey music teacher Pam Allison said. "He really just got their attention." |
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Lee said he considers Honey unique. "There's a real family atmosphere and an uncommon commitment from parents and the community to the school," he said. "And there's also a depth of commitment from the teachers and administration that I just quite haven't seen anywhere else. "I realize this is a tall statement to make, and I stand by it &emdash; Honey Elementary School is the finest public school I have ever been in, and I've been in dozens of them." Allison said Honey and its Partners in Education raised $5,600 to help offset the cost of insurance to bring the historical artifacts, documents and art to the school. Waters Elementary also provided some funds. Dianne Ashby, art teacher at both Honey and Waters, also helped bring the collection to Lubbock. Activities during the week will include fourth-graders drawing self portraits using Picasso's cubism technique, fifth-graders creating their own Faberge eggs and sixth-graders painting with water colors to study Impressionism. Allison said the public is invited to listen to Lee and view the collection. "It's a classroom setting; they can come in and sit and listen," she said. Lee's attention, however, will be on the students. "The best thing I do is the time I spend with children," he said. "I should not be viewed as an anomaly. Everybody has something they do that they're good at. "I would hope I serve as an example to people that we all need to identify what our talents and gifts are and figure out a way to share them with children." |