Testimonials 

Head, Department of Creative and Performing Arts, School District of Philadelphia

"Fresh Artists is a blast of fresh air to our severely strained visual arts program bringing critically needed art supplies directly into the hands of the children. It is smart, strategic and efficient with a laser-focus on the need. The concept is brilliant: engaging our students directly in the solution to this funding crunch affords our city kids an outstanding opportunity for tangible civic engagement. The corporate donors will reap many benefits from living with the vibrant images our students create, and the placement of these works of art in premium places of high visibility will both honor the children and encourage conversations about the way we look at educating our next generation of citizens.

Making art is not a luxury. It is an essential component to every child's education. We are deeply grateful for the vision and energy of Fresh Artists and encourage all to support their efforts wholeheartedly."

Chief Operating Officer art4business inc., corporate art consultants

"As the arts have increasingly taken a backseat in our culture it is an absolute pleasure to see the rise of an organization like Fresh Artists which not only encourages children to create artwork, but also constructs a vehicle for public school art teachers to receive funding and supplies to help foster a new generation of creative thinkers. This country's future is based upon innovation which comes through free thought as well as the solid foundation of math and science. Corporations in the US are now looking to organizations that support their core beliefs which often relate to innovation and a respect for human-kind. Fresh Artists provides a unique marriage between the increasing need for artistic expression and Corporate America's call for art that is supportive to their communities while visually reiterating their core values."

regarding the unique value of art making for children in crisis:

Art therapist and psychologist, Boston, MA

"Art making can be especially healing as words often are insufficient, answers usually scarce, and emotions tend to come in waves that can overwhelm us, subside, then overwhelm us again."

The Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and Chief Executive Officer
Woodmere Art Museum

"It is with unequivocal enthusiasm that I endorse the work of Fresh Artists. As the director of Woodmere Art Museum, an institution that for many years has featured in its Helen Millard Children's Gallery original art by grade school children, I consider Fresh Artists a kindred spirit in the effort to bring art making to young people who otherwise might be deprived of that opportunity.

There is now a critical mass of conclusive evidence quantifying the positive value art education contributes to a child's intellectual and emotional development.

In an unprecedented, entrepreneurial fashion, Fresh Artists strives to find the funds and resources necessary to ensure the presence of a robust art education program in our severely under-resourced public schools. The importance of such an enterprise cannot be overstated."

Art Teacher, Hunter School K-8, Kensington

"Through Fresh Artists, inner city youth's potential for success as artists will be recognized by businesses and the art community. The concept of reproducing and placing professional-quality enlargements of student work on display in highly accessible public and business venues is nothing short of genius. Students who seldom receive recognition because they are frequently disenfranchised socially, academically, and economically may at last realize that they have worth as fledgling artists. Students will have positive reinforcement in seeing that art, especially their art, plays an ever increasing vital and important visually aesthetic role in our community and society. Who knows - one day, one of my students may be considered the next Picasso.

Fresh Artists is putting its money behind its support of art teachers and their attempts to deliver quality art education to inner city public school youth. Hurrah!

In short, everyone benefits from the Fresh Artists. Students receive the recognition and encouragement they deserve as young talented artists. Teachers receive financial support for their art classrooms to buy materials and supplies to enhance their art lessons, and businesses have reproductions of beautiful, original, and decidedly creative works of art to display in their offices and lobbies for a marginal donation. This is a win-win-win situation, and I am proud to be in on the ground floor."

Principal, Tevebaugh Associates, Architects

"The children who contribute their work to Fresh Artists approach their art the only way they know how... with innocence, honesty and a bit of naiveté. Many adult artists strive their whole life to lose the psychological baggage that they have accumulated so that they can see the world in these same ways. The Fresh Artists program celebrates the wonderful treasures we have all around us but we may not have been seeing the forest for the trees.

Architects understand that often it is what is on the walls that may relate to, and affect the inhabitants more than the architecture itself. In the past, the vast canvasses provided by the walls in many of our corporate, institutional and healthcare projects have been populated by graphic design or artwork that remains uninspiring to the inhabitants, remaining a type of wallpaper that was selected to match a carpet and paint selection. Fresh Artists provides an opportunity to fill those walls with inspired art work from children in the Philadelphia School District which tells a story from their perspective in the local community. I feel strongly that this program will help to bring the soul to nondescript spaces and bold moves to lackluster environments while building stronger ties to the community in which organizations chose to do business.

Chair, Art Education Department, Moore College of Art and Design
Former Art Teacher - School District of Philadelphia, 1966 - 2002

"What an exciting and rewarding experience for the student artist, the art teacher, the school and the community! It makes me want to "un-retire" (as one of my first graders begged) to participate in this energized program! This program has the potential to empower all of our children and focus the corporate world on the creativity of the students and the effective teaching of our art teachers. As art educators, we know that making art has the power to change lives and, therefore, transform the world. Fresh:Artists will help us do just that."