Parents will pay big bucks for these works of art

By Kate McNeil

Before dinner on Saturday night the Wong family stopped by a museum. It was opening night and the unusual art space - PS 24's cold lunchroom - was filled with self-portraits, landscapes and still life from Riverdale's own.

The family of five perused Philip Papageorgiou's depiction of the Bronx, Sara Santiago's vivid pink flower, Arlena Myers' geometric self-portrait and Eric Fiammentta's still-life fruit basket.

To say the artists are up-and-coming is an understatement - some of them are still learning to tie their shoes. But that didn't stop Judy Wong from buying her first-grade daughter Caroline's masterpiece.

Sponsored by PS 24's parent association, "A Night at the Museum" exhibited hundreds of framed student paintings available for purchase. Kids Art Fairs, the host, provided the framing at no cost and donated 20 percent of the funds directly back to the school. Artwork that was not purchased will be removed from frames and given back to the school.

"This is a terrific idea," Ms. Wong said. "They did a great job showcasing the art and the kids are so proud to see their work."

An hour into the opening, about a third of the artwork had been purchased.

"I don't think one person has come in without walking out with a bag," said assistant principal Mary Schenk. "How could you? They are beautiful. I would put any of these in my home."

PS 24 art teacher Anne Maistre was beside herself in a room full of her students' work.

"It's amazing," Ms. Maistre said, scanning the room. "Usually you see it in dribs an drabs on bulletin boards around the school."

Some of her students sketched a cityscape while others opted for abstract art. Collages, landscapes and Picassoinspired pieces also filled the room.

"I painted New York City underwater in a dome in the future," said fourth-grader Ben Saer. "But I don't see it here, my mom already bought it."

Ben's friend Lawrence McCray painstakingly etched hundreds of window frames for his cityscape.

"It took so much time," he said. "But it feels good to see it framed."

"This is an Australian landscape from an airplane," said third-grader Isabelle Hasslund. Her fifthgrade brother Peter Michael Hasslund painted a bridge with lily pads underneath. Not surprisingly, their mother Veronica purchased both masterpieces.

"It looked nice on the invitation but this has just blown me away," Ms. Hasslund said of the show. "I wish they did this earlier so I could have more artwork around the house."

"This is your own special museum," Susan Mermelstein said to her daughter Micheala. The kindergartner clutched the framed drawing of her and her mommy proudly. "Some of this work is very sophisticated," Ms. Mermelstein said.

The cold lunchroom was not the only space full of color on Saturday night. Ms. Maistre worked furiously to fill the gym with animal art and the hot lunchroom with African masks, Giacometti foil figures and dioramas.

A huge supporter of arts education, Principal Philip Scharper was all smiles Saturday.

"It's just beautiful," he said simply.