, I visited Ms. Buti’s classroom as part of the PTO’s continuing Fine Arts Education program. I presented the artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). Roy Lichtenstein was a painter, a sculptor and a printmaker who is best known for creating a whole new style of art called “Pop Art.” He believed that art existed everywhere in the world, even in places you wouldn’t expect, like the comics. He encouraged people to look at serious art in a fun and often humorous way, and was the first artist to successfully put a cartoon-like image in a museum. Lichtenstein’s trademark was the use of “Benday” dots, named after inventor Benjamin Day. If you look closely at his images, you will see that they are made up of tiny dots. The children had the opportunity to create their own Benday dot images today, and took home a card by an artist who was inspired by Lichtenstein. The kids had a great time. Perhaps now you might take then to the Art Institute some day to see a Lichtenstein in person.
Best,Wendy Bloom (Ryan Kessler’s mom)
PTO Fine Arts Committee Member