Young Albuquerque artists will get a taste of the professional art world as they showcase their work this weekend in an upcoming Artscrawl gallery tour.
"Art from the Heart" is a show that promises to "tug at your heartstrings and be Valentine's Day all over again."
Presented at 10 art galleries across Albuquerque, the Artscrawl is the annual exhibit of children's art created through the Art in the School, Inc. program.
Art in the School, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that operates out of Masley Hall in UNM College of Education. Although not a UNM entity, the organization works in collaboration with the College of Education and the Art Education Department.
"Art in the School aims to provide art education to elementary schools by conducting workshops for educators and parental volunteers," executive director Sara Otto-Diniz said.
The workshops are designed to prepare professionals and volunteers to teach children visual arts. They are open to the public and have included panel presentations by professional artists.
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"The artists are our teachers" Otto-Diniz said. "We are the intermediaries that help the children make connections to the artists."
At a workshop to prepare volunteers to teach children about the art of self-portrait, Santa Fe Museum of Fine arts curator Ellen Zieselman spoke of different kinds of self-portraits and their essential elements.
Zieselman warned teachers and parents of unexpected representations children might create while designing their self-portraits.
She cited a classic story of a painting by Mexican artist Frida Khalo. Asked to create a memorial portrait of a friend who committed suicide, Khalo instead presented a portrait of the actual suicide.
"Artists make choices, one of the main choices is that of point-of-view," she said. "You have to be prepared for that in your classes."
Peter Smith, former UNM Art Education Department chair, spoke about the importance of self-portrait creation among students.
"The self-portrait is vital, it's the opportunity for the student to proclaim that they are important, that they exist in the world," he said.
The artwork presented at the Artscrawl this weekend includes self-portraits, abstract art and Chinese brush paintings created by children from more than 20 schools in Albuquerque.
The Artscrawl galleries are Framing Concepts, New Mexico Art League and Gallery, Through the Garden Gate, Larrazolo Jewelers & Art Gallery, New Mexico Glass Artists Association, Wright's Collection of Indian Art, Mama's Minerals, Southwest Cornerhouse, Weyrich Gallery and Gregg & Co.
The exhibit opens Friday from 5-8 p.m. with a special reception for the budding artists on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission to the exhibits is free. For more information about Art in the Schools Inc., call 277-6495.
