Student Art Featured in Mandarin Oriental Exhibit
May 11, 2010
Students and art educators joined DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee, DCPS officials and members of the D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission to celebrate the creativity, skill and work of talented DCPS student artists in an exhibit and reception at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on May 5.
The exhibit, produced by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, DCPS Office of Community Partnerships and the D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission, showcased 54 pieces of student art from 11 DCPS schools in the neighborhoods located near the landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
The exhibit highlighted the successes of student artists who are benefiting from education reforms that now provide all D.C. Public Schools with arts instruction. A reception hosted by the D.C. Public Education Fund’s Young Professionals Committee raised funds to support education reform.
The Mandarin Oriental partnered with neighboring schools for the art show. Art teachers were asked to submit student art work for the exhibit, which will be on display in the Mandarin Oriental Gallery through July 31.
Work included a range of media such as acrylic, chalk pastel, freehand, oil pastels, three-dimensional, mixed media and watercolor. The DC Arts and Humanities Commission funded the framing of the work.
Seven pieces were chosen by a panel of judges that included art teachers, DCPS staff, members of the DC Arts and Humanities Commission and the Mandarin Oriental. The Grand Prize winner announced at the event was Salarra Johnson, a fifth-grader at John Tyler Elementary School.
Johnson received top honors for her three-dimensional piece, “Splash of Color.” Her art teacher, Norva Madden, also attended.
Chancellor Rhee and Mandarin Oriental General Manager Amanda Hyndman presented Johnson with her award, a $750 gift certificate to Utrecht Art Supplies for her school. Mandarin Oriental Hotel donated the prize. All finalists received certificates.
Arts provide enrichment and opportunity to engage students, Rhee told exhibit guests at the reception. Since 2007, DCPS has instituted a comprehensive staffing model that allows all schools to provide art instruction to their students.
Also, she noted, four Catalyst Project schools are in a planning year to offer an arts integration curriculum to elementary, middle and K-8 students beginning next year. In several schools, DCPS also offers Reggio Emilia, an early childhood program that is focused on building skills through arts, Rhee said.
The event, which drew more than 80 people, raised more than $1,800 for the D.C. Public Education Fund, an organization that serves as a strategic partner to businesses, foundations, community leaders and individual donors to invest in high-impact programs in D.C. Public Schools.
Cate Swinburn, president and executive director of the D.C. Public Education Fund, told guests that private investment is critical to sustain the rapid pace of reform that DCPS and stakeholders are trying to sustain. In the past three years, the fund has raised more than $13 million for such efforts.
The Mandarin Oriental also will host an afternoon for the student artists to view their framed work in the hotel’s gallery, said Erich Hosbach, Mandarin Hotel’s director of public relations and business development. A similar event will be held for teachers. Both dates have yet to be announced.
Visit the Mandarin Oriental to view the student exhibit. On display now - Saturday, July 31, 2010.
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