The five year olds at Village Pre-school know a thing or two about art. Owen Chaber, 5, talked about the master painters he has learned about in the last few months. Speaking with a precocious grasp of the subject, he said, "They make fabulous paintings. I like Picasso's Blue Period."
Spunky Valentina Fernandez, 5, said she liked Georgia O'Keefe's flowers but Samuel D'Amico said that he preferred Seurat. "When you were far away, you couldn't see the dots, but up close, there were hundreds and hundreds of them!”
On Wednesday, the group of five year olds clamored together to listen to the sad story of Vincent Van Gogh. The swirls of color in "Starry Night" held many in awe, while for others, the starkly colorful sunflowers called to their imaginations.
The students absorbed and understood the different kinds of art, which Director and Art Teacher Randi Rote said they also recognize outside of the classroom. “When they go to galleries with their parents, they talk about the styles,” Rote said.
Later that afternoon, Education Foundation Directors Courtney Martin and Janice Chrzescijanek were presented with a "Jackson Pollack" painting created by the pre-schoolers.
Chrzescijanek said that it was a pleasure to see the children's work. "We give a lot of grants, it is great to see it in real life."
"It's a great, innovative and creative program, and it fits right in with what the Education Foundation is all about. The sooner children can be exposed to the arts, the better," Chrzescijanek said.
In the photos, the students are seen in rapt attention as learn of Van Gogh's life, react to the loss of Van Gogh's ear, and attack their canvas like truly inspired artists.
