Along with the Van Gogh still lifes and Matisse cutouts this week at the Baltimore Museum of Art hangs a painting titled “Still Life with a Pumpkin” by Chapel Hill fifth-grader Alyssa Calcerano and a multimedia piece named, simply, “Flower,” by Kobe Campbell, a pre-K student at Hawthorne. Both are exceptional works.
But do they belong in the same prestigious gallery as the masterpieces?
Of course.
“We want to bring the great international works to Baltimore for everyone to see,” said Allison Perkins, BMA?s deputy education and interpretation director. “But we also support and have a creative and collaborative relationship with the Baltimore County Public School art program. They have outstanding young artists in their programs. Baltimore County, I believe, has the highest number of nationally honored art students in the country.”
The Baltimore County schools? “Art is for Everyone” exhibition marks the 18th year the BMA has given time and space for the best of county students? efforts. This year also marks the 100th year of the Baltimore County Public School arts program.
In fact, more than a dozen contributions in the 2 1/2 room display are from national award-winning artists.
Alison Hertz from Franklin High School, and Sarah Matsumoto and Benjamin Guthorn from Carver, are three local students with work featured at the exhibition. All have won prestigious national awards and are recognized among the top handful of high school art students in the country.
“It?s really thrilling to share space with the masterpieces and the great artists at the BMA,” Matsumoto said. “It kind of validates you as an artist.”
A photograph from a series of pictures Matsumuto took exploring Asian stereotypes greets second-floor visitors to the exhibition along with a textured, in-depth portrait of three schoolgirls by Hertz.
“I was trying to take a whimsical, but sometimes serious look at the way Asians are stereotyped in this country,” Matsumoto said. “And the way I have felt I am looked at, too.”
“What Alison is able to do is reveal character,” said Franklin art teacher Michael Bare, referring to Hertz?s portraits, “not just replicate someone?s likeness. She does impressive work ? the BMA is quite an accomplishment for anyone.”
The show, which opened Wednesday and concludes Sunday with a reception from 1 to 4 p.m. for the artists and their instructors, highlights students? work from every grade in the generous 350-piece installation. Admission to the museum is free Sunday for Baltimore County residents; hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
