LREI Art Party and Auction
Dear LREI Community,
As you know, the LREI Art Party and Auction is on Wednesday, April 23 from 6:00PM-9:00PM at kurimanzutto gallery at 516 West 20th Street. It will be a spectacular event and a joyful party and I hope that you will join us for this community gathering and important fundraiser. If you still need tickets, they can be found here.
Thank you to all of the artists who so generously donated their work. I am always thrilled to see the work of so many community members including current parents, alumni parents, alumni, and current and former employees. The talent of this community never ceases to amaze me! If you haven’t already, please check out the catalog.
Over the years, I have been asked about the Art Party – why an art party and auction and where the funds that we raise will go. The latter is easy – all funds raised support financial aid and the annual daily operations of this school year.
But why an Art Party? Because it is a tradition, a truly long standing tradition.
In 1934, Little Red School House organized the first International Exhibition of Children’s Painting at Rockefeller Center, representing work from forty countries. It honored the creativity of children on a scale that had never been imagined before, let alone attempted. Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States, a huge admirer and supporter of the school, was chair of the organizing committee and the exhibit traveled throughout the United States. The exhibition consisted of 500 drawings and paintings by children 6 to 12 years old.
Mrs. Roosevelt spoke at the private opening, which was attended by more than 500 guests, representing the fields of art and art education. “It is highly important that we understand the needs of our children and the children of the world. Through progressive schools which allow self-expression, we can do much to help them understand their own countries and countries throughout the world,” she said.
The event currently doesn’t travel the world or make the pages of the New York Times, but it remains both an important testament to the role of art in our school and a favorite tradition.
Are there other ART PARTY traditions? Yes! LREI families gather together to have fun. As one of our current Parents Association co-presidents likes to say, “We like to party!”
Are there any others? You betcha. As you know, from the school’s very first moments, LREI families have come together to support the school financially, to make it possible for LREI to be LREI.
These three traditions – beautiful art, an amazing party, and supporting our school – will all be on display next Wednesday. Please join us. The more the merrier.
I end this look at our past and its place in our present with a quote from our founder which we strive to make true today and will surely be descriptive of the Art Party – “Above all things,” Irwin wrote, “the progressive schools believe that childhood is a part of life and not just a preface to something more important, and that at every age children should have a chance to respond to the romance and adventure of the world around them.”
Looking forward to seeing you at the P-ART-Y,
