The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Celebrates A+ Art Exhibit!

This past Thursday, September 18, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) partnered with the Philadelphia School District and Blick Art Materials to host its fall exhibition, A+ Art in the Art Gallery at City Hall. As a result of this partnership, During the event Blick Art Materials will donate $15,000 worth of gift cards to the 23 participating schools to purchase materials for their art classes!

 

A+ Art is City Hall’s annual student exhibition that samples some of the most accomplished works from k-12 students in the School District of Philadelphia. The selected works chosen reflect an array of perspectives, cultural influences and artistic techniques and each student artist in will be honored with a Mayoral Certificate of Artistic Excellence. 

“Having artwork created by students of the School District of Philadelphia on display in the City Hall’s Art Gallery is an incredible opportunity to showcase their amazing talents. Art supplies need to be replenished frequently, unlike textbooks that can be used for several years before replacing,” said Deborah Klose, Director of Arts Education for the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Academic Enrichment and Support.

The student exhibit displayed amazing young talent and underscored why it’s so crucial to have art courses in schools and communities.  Bob Buchsbaum, CEO of Dick Blick Holdings. Inc., the parent company of Blick Art Materials was on hand for the festivities and could not speak more highly of the exhibit and its mission. “Blick has been a long-time supporter and advocate for the arts. We continue to be involved in many national and local initiatives to support art and offset budget constrictions in schools and communities. Through our support of the A+ Art exhibit, we are proud to be able to give back to the Philadelphia community, helping students and teachers drive creativity in the classroom and beyond.” 

The event was truly a team effort with David Brigham, President and Chief Executive Office of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), connecting the OACCE and Blick.“Like the City, PAFA is committed to providing arts education for students in Philadelphia and is pleased to support this effort by helping to identify donors to provide art supplies for children in the public schools.”

The classrooms are far reaching, with schools from all over the city taking part in this evening of arts and culture.  Helen Haynes, Chief Cultural Officer, summed up the evening perfectly: “Art teachers need our support so they can help children learn to express themselves in a healthy, productive way. The OACCE is trying to connect schools and teachers directly to resources beyond the school district’s limited budget, like Blick Art Supplies’ donation. Its generosity is a perfect example of how we can collaborate with outside partners to obtain resources that benefit the entire community.”

To learn more about the participating schools and the A+ Art Exhibit click here. 

The work of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is made possible through the generous support of committed individuals and institutions.