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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 093-04
April 21, 2004

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR JOEL I. KLEIN AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER KATE D. LEVIN CELEBRATE STUDENT ART EXHIBIT

Exhibit Includes Over 70 Pieces of Artwork Created in Partnership with Studio in a School

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin today celebrated an exhibit of more than 70 pieces of student artwork at the Tweed Courthouse, the Department of Education (DOE) headquarters.  New York City public school children, principals, teachers, and parents also joined the Mayor at the exhibit, which was created in partnership with Studio in a School, a not-for-profit organization that links professional artists with public schools citywide to offer lessons in painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. 

"The arts are a vital part of learning," said Mayor Bloomberg. "For more than two decades, Studio in a School has partnered with the City to enrich the lives of our children through the arts by placing some of our City's best professional artists in our classrooms.  I'd like to thank Studio in a School for helping schoolchildren discover their creativity through drawing, painting and sculpture.  As you can see by this exhibition, the results can be spectacular."

"This exhibition showcases the talents of our extraordinary public school students," Chancellor Klein said.   "It is a beautiful addition to our workplace and has been enjoyed by the many staff, students and visitors who pass through this building each day.  I thank Studio in a School, our teachers and the many students involved in this program for their hard work on this project." 

"This exhibition brings together areas that are extremely important to this administration: ensuring quality arts education for all our public school students and building strong private-public partnerships with outstanding organizations like Studio in a School. Above all, it offers a wonderful opportunity to present the creativity and boundless imagination of New York City's schoolchildren," said Commissioner Levin.

"Studio In A School has been partnering with the New York City Department of Education for the past 27 years," said Agnes Gund, founder of Studio in A School and Chair of the Mayor's Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission.  "The opportunity we have now been given to maintain a presence in the Tweed Courthouse demonstrates the high value that the current administration places on art education. We are thrilled to mount this exhibition in the Tweed Courthouse as evidence of our ongoing work with the teachers and students of the City's public schools."

The artwork at Tweed was created by students in the first through seventh grades from 30 public schools throughout the City.   The installation includes a series of expressive drawings in oil pastels by fourth graders from P.S. 165 which hangs at the building's entrance; a large vibrant banner, inspired by animals and designs displayed on the second floor stairwell; and a painting by fourth graders from P.S. 137 that introduces bright color, dancing, and music to the DOE meeting room. The students' artwork was recently joined at DOE headquarters by a work by the master graphic artist and sculptor Roy Lichtenstein.

To learn more about Studio in a School, please visit their web site at www.studioinaschool.org.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler/Robert Lawson   (212) 788-2958

Jerry Russo/Michele McManus   (DOE)
(212) 374-5141




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