Park West Gallery shows the power of paint improves lives
Students work on self portraits at San Bernardino’s Barton Elementary in California during a Turnaround Arts event. (Photo courtesy of T Studio)
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 19, 2016 – Park West Gallery, known for fine art auctions on cruise ships and its art gallery in Detroit, is pleased to share the story of how art is shaping the minds of the future.
A post created by T Brand Studio on the New York Times site highlights the efforts of Park West Gallery artists Autumn de Forest, Romero Britto and Guy Harvey to emphasize the importance of art education in schools around the country.
Autumn, a 14-year-old artistic prodigy, travels around the country with the Turnaround Arts program, working directly with students to inspire them and promote art education. Turnaround Arts is a public-private program organized by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to improve low-ranking schools in 14 states. Park West Gallery donates art supplies for the students to use.
“I am honored to work with the Turnaround Arts program,” says Autumn. “This program helps schools that really need the arts, music, dance and theatre.”
A two-year study of one of the Turnaround Arts program shows that math scores have increased by 22.5 percent and reading scores by 12.6 percent. Meanwhile, studies from the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds reveal that exposure to the arts increases academic engagement and enrollment.
Other artists with Park West Gallery, including Britto and Harvey, encourage arts education, and speak to how it positively impacted their careers as artists.
“I still think that, in school, they should emphasize more arts and culture,” Britto says in the article. “It does give a possibility [to] create something unique and new.”
Along with the artists, Park West Gallery Founder and CEO Albert Scaglione says his 40-plus year career has focused on bringing art to the masses through art auctions and educational efforts. The gallery’s non-profit organization, the Park West Foundation, also plays a key role, such as underwriting museum exhibitions around the country.
About Park West Gallery:
Founded in 1969, Park West Gallery has connected artists to more than 1.9 million fine art collectors through cruise ship art auctions and via its public art gallery in Michigan. Park West Gallery creates an entertaining, educational and welcoming environment that ignites a passion for the arts and offers an incomparable collecting experience.
