"This experience fosters pride and boosts self-esteem, encouraging children to embrace their creativity and share their work with others beyond their family and friends.”
— Artist Pamela McDaniels
The Art of Encouragement: Reimagine 2024
(Above) Griffin getting his first look at his art “reimagined” by Bryce Oquaye
By Katy Conway
Picasso is said to have observed, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” I suspect each of the grown-up artists in this year’s REIMAGINE exhibition has a very personal experience of that paradox.
Paradoxes aside, there’s so much beautiful art by both child artists and their adult counterparts at REIMAGINE 2024 it was reason enough to go as early as I could after the show opened on Sept. 20. For those who are not familiar with REIMAGINE, it is an exhibition of 40 student drawings displayed alongside 40 works of art created by Lexington artists, each of whom chose one youth’s drawing as inspiration for their original reinterpretation. The brainchild of Lori Barnett, who ran it from 2014 to 2019 through her non-profit, Creative Alliance for Arts Education, REIMAGINE was successively relaunched by Kate Savage, the executive director and founder of Arts Connect. Now in its fourth year as a relaunch, this program not only showcases budding talent and promotes artists who live and work in our area, REIMAGINE importantly raises desperately needed money for art materials that so many local area schools lack. (More on that later).
As I said before, I didn’t need much inducement to visit this year’s REIMAGINE show at the Living Arts and Science Center in Lexington. Having seen the magic last year was reason enough. But for those whose fall calendars are quickly filling up, here are my top 5 reasons to prioritize this show and get there sooner rather than later. It should be said upfront, however, that it would require far too long an article to extoll the virtues of each work in this show. They simply must be seen in person.
Reason #5 Come for the horses…stay a bit longer for the giraffes. It’s understandable why even very young artists in Fayette County want to draw horses. As a newcomer here, horse sightings still take my breath away. So did a drawing by a first grader named Braxton who attends the Veteran’s Park Elementary School. Like Alexander Calder with his minimalist line drawings and wire sculptures, Braxton tackled a single line drawing of a horse. The first grader shows how speed, motion and even an animal’s confidence can be depicted with the utmost simplicity. For his part, LaVon Williams fills in many imagined details in his oil-on-carved wood relief painting “Yellow Horse.” In the latter, a lithe, focused jockey appears on the back of Braxton’s horse, both bodies merging as they stretch toward the finish line. Even the the jockey's cap elongates toward a win.
(Top) First grader Braxton’s horse drawing. (Bottom) “Yellow Horse.” LaVon Williams
You’ll see a few more horses portrayed in repose at the exhibit, including a trio of horses in “Make A Wish” by Yvette Stephens Crossing. Stephens Crossing states in the catalogue that she especially admired “the amazing detail in the stable” drawn by first-grader Giselle and this in turn inspired Stephens Crossing’s mixed media version. The student piece is a tranquil scene of three horses at rest in fabulous wood stalls, each one basking under their own individual sun (or are these personal ceiling fans?) “Make A Wish” kicks things up a notch. In this rendition, the horses are not so much relaxing as recharging, dreaming up big plans for tomorrow as sunlight rains down like so many golden flowers.
(Top) First grader Giselle’s drawing. (Bottom) “Make A Wish.” Yvette Stephens Crossing
And speaking of gold, I defy you to not fall in love with “Goldie,” a radiant portrait of a giraffe by muralist, sculptor and mixed media artist Christine Kuhn. True, “Goldie” (and her black and white precursor) are no thoroughbreds. But these giraffes have the same noble bearing and captivating gaze as horses often do. Kuhn’s mixed media work pays homage to young Nicholas’ terrific drawing (he’s a first grader at Veteran’s Park Elementary). These portraits are so beguiling, it’s hard to tear your eyes away.
(Top) First grader Nicholas’ giraffe drawing. (Bottom) “Goldie." Christine Kuhn
Reason #4 You need the occasional reminder that “life is about the journey, not the destination.” This theme is a recurring one in REIMAGINE 2024 and trust me there are all kinds of amazing trips going on. Take, for example, a fifth grader named Zachary, who captured what is to my mind the definitive drawing of the arduous, never-ending mythic journey of Sisyphus, gamely pushing that boulder up the hill. Nearby, James Shambhu’s “The Greek Myth of Sisyphus — Draw/Erase/Repeat” is just as thrilling to take in. Shambhu explains the journey behind his reimagined drawing, “With Sisyphus in mind, I erased and redrew the drawing every day until the paper started to fall apart.” Viewing the two works, you can almost imagine there is a conversation going back and forth between Zachary and Shambhu. This is true for each pair of artists in the exhibition.
(Top) Fifth grader Zachary's drawing. (Bottom) “The Greek Myth of Sisyphus – Draw/Erase/Repeat." James Shambhu
I wanted to physically transport myself into “The Birds,” which is a large, gorgeous abstract painting by the renowned Lexington artist Patrick Adams. Inspiration for “The Birds” came from a first grader (Hannah) and her serene drawing of a large flock of downy white birds who fly and float about, mid air, while two of their ilk rest on a tree branch. Meanwhile, Pamela McDaniel’s dreamy “The Nocturnal Journey of Navya’s Snail” and the superb snail rendered in third-grader Navya’s drawing remind us that even very slow journeys can be exciting.
(Top) First grader Hannah's drawing. (Bottom) “The Birds.” Patrick Adams
(Top) Third grader Navya's drawing. (Bottom) “The Nocturnal Journey of Navya's Snail.” Pamela McDaniel
Reason #3 You’re dying to see the fall colors. If you only go to REIMAGINE to drink in some gorgeous color, it will be well worth it. In fact, these pictures will likely make you want to take that walk in nature even sooner. “Zorah’s Moment of Zen,” a paper quilling work by Michelle Armstrong, was inspired by a delicate encounter between a butterfly and a fox, portrayed by Stonewall Elementary’s student artist Zorah. Meanwhile, Marty Henton’s “Sunkissed” (a take on the groovy world that Ash from The Lexington School has imagined) and the exuberant “80’s Brain” by Blake Eames, based on 4-grader Charlie’s Peter Max-like sunscape, dazzle the eye and excite the brain.
(Top) Fourth grader Zorah’s drawing. (Bottom) “Zorah’s Moment of Zen.” Michelle Armstrong
(Top) Fourth grader Charlie's drawing. (Bottom) “80s Brain.” Blake Eames
(Top) First grader Ash's drawing. (Bottom) “Sunkissed.” Marty Henton
Forgive me if I gush about the blissful night scenes brought to us by Wilder, a Kindergartener at Wellington Elementary, and by the talented visual art teacher and artist who was inspired by his drawing, Sarah Detraz. Both Wilder’s drawing and Detraz’s painting are enchanting in the same way as Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and so many wonderful night sky paintings by Marc Chagall. Detraz and all the other former and current art instructors in this show deserve a special a shout-out of appreciation, as does Rachel Losch. A former art teacher, Losch, is now the instructional specialist for fine art in Fayette County schools and deserves our thanks for her ongoing work coordinating between Arts Connect and the elementary schools that participate in REIMAGINE. (See below for Tom Martin's interview with Losch on how all of that comes together.)
(Top) Wilder’s drawing. (Bottom) "Wilder’s Night Sky.” Sarah Detraz
Reason #2 The walls at home are looking bare. The art displayed in this show is available to buy through an online auction. You can register to bid on your favorite pieces by scanning the QR code at the show and you’re off and running to join in the bidding. Bidding, in fact has already begun, so you might want to get to it.
Who wouldn’t clear some wall space at home for “Jonah’s Forest,” a gorgeous print by artist and retired art teacher Cathy Vigor? It was inspired by (third grader) Jonah’s drawing of majestic trees with twisty roots below and kinetic branches above. Another standout is the mystical drawing by Kellan in Grade 5 at Athens-Chilesburg Elementary, which inspired Lexington-native Charles Ellis’ amazing mixed media painting, “The Messenger.” If you bid on that one, prepare for some competition. I won’t say from whom.
(Top) Third grader Jonah's drawing. (Bottom) “Jonah's Forest.” Cathy Vigor
(Top) Fifth grader Kellan’s drawing. (Bottom) “The Messenger.” Charles Ellis
Reason #1 You love the arts and want to do your part! Here’s what REIMAGINE artist Pam McDaniel said about the program’s impact, “As a former elementary art teacher, I can attest that displaying a child's artwork in a public setting has a profoundly positive impact. REIMAGINE takes this a step further by enabling children to see how their work has inspired professional artists to create pieces that go beyond the original pencil drawing….This experience fosters pride and boosts self-esteem, encouraging children to embrace their creativity and share their work with others beyond their family and friends.” When asked what she imagined the longer-term legacy of REIMAGINE might be, Rachel Losch said, “I envision that the child would never forget the experience. And I imagine and hope that the students believe that they can accomplish the dreams that they visualize through their art.”
You can’t really put a price on a work of art you love, considering the years of enjoyment it will bring. So, when you visit REIMAGINE, consider going all in and bidding on something to bring home. You may just help these young artists remain artists into adulthood. And, if you’re anything like the stylish pup in Yvette Stephens Crossing’s “Miss Bre Goes to Hollywood,” life has taught you that retail therapy is its own reward.
(Top) Second grader Savannah’s drawing. (Bottom) "Miss Bre Goes to Hollywood.” Yvette Stephens Crossing
The REIMAGINE exhibition is available for viewing through Oct. 11, 2024 at the Living Arts and Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Boulevard in Lexington. Online auction bidding closes at 7:30 p.m. on October 11.
REIMAGINE artists choose an elementary school child's drawing as inspiration to create an artwork in their own style and medium. Funds from an auction of the works go to public school art programs in Fayette County, the artists and Arts Connect. (Sculpture by Crimson Duvall)