LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kids Place Lex is decorating its blank white walls with tiles of eight-inch paintings ahead of an art show this weekend. It’s called the Little Art, Big Hearts show, and it involves 1,400 different pieces of art.
“We sent an invitation out to Fayette and Jessamine County Schools,” said Constance Grayson, executive director of Kids Place Lex. “We have 14 elementary and middle schools that are participating.”
The 1,400 art pieces will be $20 each at this weekend’s show. Proceeds will be split to benefit school art supply funds and Kids Place Lex, a nonprofit that provides free art classes to foster and other at-risk youth in central Kentucky.
The students know their art is being sold to make an impact.
“I mean, the kids knew that they were doing this to promote an awareness about foster care, and they were painting things about pets and family and love,” said Grayson.
That includes art students at Brenda Cowan Elementary School, where 80 art pieces were created. That includes works by Janna Grace Fiscus and Aubrey Oldham.
“It's kind of like a heart in the middle of the four seasons,” Oldham said, pointing to a red heart over the intersection of two lines. She then directed to each of four boxes. “We have winter, autumn, summer, and spring.”
“Everyone has different opinions on seasons, and some people love all the seasons.”
“It's the two birds that are shaped into doing a heart shape,” Fiscus said, pointing to her painted peacocks whose necks make a heart shape.
“There was a lot of conversation during studio time about the program and how important it was and it was, it's been a very, rewarding project,” Brenda Cowan Elementary visual arts teacher Hope Soch shared.
“f I help other people out, that could make maybe a difference, and that could really mean a lot,” added Fiscus. “Maybe not only to me, but maybe to other people.”
“I think that if you look at the paintings, you can definitely see the heart and the feeling that have gone into these paintings,” said Soch.
Visitors at the Little Art, Big Hearts show can write notes to complement the art pieces made by the students.
The show begins on Friday, March 20, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Saturday, the gallery will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The final day is Sunday, March 22, when the gallery will be open from noon to 4 p.m. You can visit Kids Place Lex at 190 Jefferson St.
