What is Fresh Artists Palates to Palettes©?

An innovative Fresh Artists program that makes the connection between fine art and culinary masterpieces and introduces underserved children to a myriad of potential careers in the creative economy.

How did P2P start?

Concept by Deva Watson (experienced server in fine restaurants like Will BYOB, Zahav, the Diving Horse and Pub & Kitchen and runs her art room like a professional kitchen) approached Fresh Artists with idea to expose disadvantaged kids to the experience of fine dining. Idea was incubated in Fresh Artists’ “Greenhouse”, a think tank developing ways inner city art teachers can bring resources to their classrooms. Partnered to develop Fresh Artists Palates to Palettes©, an innovative program connecting art museums, culinary schools and the hottest chefs and restaurants to provide groundbreaking access to youngsters about potential careers in the culinary, art, design and museum worlds. Now in its 4th year, Fresh Artists P2P now works with children at Wissahickon Charter School (Deva Watson).

What is Fresh Artists?

Fresh Artists is an award-winning national nonprofit that creates the ability for generous children to make a real difference in their world by engaging children as full partners in philanthropy, by widely exhibiting children’s artwork in highly visible and unexpected places, and by providing quality art supplies and inventive art programs to severely under-funded public schools across the country. Founded in Philadelphia in 2008 as a response to the massive cutbacks in arts funding, Fresh Artists has delivered the value of more than $550,000 in art supplies & innovative art programs like P2P to public schools in the Philadelphia region, NYC, Denver and Santa Fe through the partnership of 1100+ children donating 1300 pieces of art to help other children and schools in need.

How does Fresh Artists Palates to Palettes© work?

• Kids start with a private tour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, studied food-themed masterpiece still lifes and learned about creative-based jobs in museums.

1. They are coached in contemporary etiquette and food customs by Hilary Brennan, of Socially Saavy, giving youngsters table and social manners to generate confidence in new situations

• They then visit 3 acclaimed restaurants:

1. Met and interviewed the Executive Chef and staff
2. Granite Hill at the Philadelphia Museum of Art – contemporary American
3. Yehuda Sichel of Abe Fisher
4. Heather Thomason & Damon Menapace of Kensington Quarters
5. Tour the kitchens and learned about traditional kitchen staff jobs
6. Enjoy a luncheon of Chef’s signature dish with Chef
7. Discuss each restaurant’s theme, ambience, accoutrements, décor, palette
8. Sketched a tableaux of their meal’s ingredients set up by professional food stylists

• For the next 3 months, the children create their own still lifes in art class, using large, high resolution photo enlargements of their tableaux furnished by Fresh Artists.

• There are three final events:

1. Le Grand Vernissage at Drexel Culinary School – final exhibition of all artwork and community reception to thank the chefs and donors. Chefs unveiled their “Choix des Chefs” (Chef’s Choices) of favorite piece of artwork presented in large format. After public presentations, children were served luncheon and learn about culinary college options.
2. Chef’s Night Out at COOK - cooking demo/lesson by Tyler Akin of Stock and dinner party for winners and their chefs at COOK, Philadelphia’s premier demonstration kitchen
3. Palates to Palettes exhibition at Metropolitan Gallery 250 the weekend of the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show 

What art supplies are needed and why?

• Artists grade paintbrushes (smallest ones), which are different from regular classroom use. I teach 428 students a week, things break and get misused sometimes. It happens with so many people: http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-scholastic-wonder-white-brushes/
• Small tubes of acrylic paint- with some of the still life imagery, students can not mix these colors from basic student grade quart containers. We need various shades of bold colors: http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-artists-acrylic/
• Artist grade paper- Paper is a huge need! We need heavy weight paper that will not bend when large amounts of paint are on the page: http://www.dickblick.com/items/10020-1062/
• My students need the best types of art supplies to create the master works that are inside of them. They should get a taste of what great supplies are, how to use them, and why better art supplies help create the best quality of work.

A still life from Vernick Food and Drink in Philadelphia.

 An artwork a student made from the above Vernick Food & Drink still life. (Great supplies help facilitate great work!)

Who can I call for more information?

Please call Barbara Chandler Allen, President, Fresh Artists

cell: 215-920-3317

bcallen@freshartists.org www.freshartists.org

 Links to:

NPR feature about Fresh Artists Palates to Palettes, Friday Arts Program, The Art of Food

GRID Magazine article on Fresh Artists Palates to Palettes, April 2014

TODAY Show feature on Fresh Artists

Back Up Plan