In partnership with the Greenwich Arts Council and C. Parker Gallery, Splurge launched the first ever Young Artists Program in May. The program creates an opportunity for aspiring young artists to have their work on display at Splurge, located at 39 Lewis St.
The Splurge Young Artists Program is open to local students in 4th to 8th grade, and the inaugural artists’ work was featured in the Splurge windows during The Greenwich Arts Council’s Art to the Avenue event which begins on May 2. Students are invited to submit up to three photos of their work for consideration (art must be 9” x 12” or 12” x 18”). Photos may be sent to Splurgeyoungartists@yahoo.com, along with the artist’s name, grade, school, and a brief sentence describing their inspiration for each piece. Any artistic mediums may be used. Sonia Malloy, owner of Splurge and Tiffany Benincasa, owner of C. Parker Gallery, will work together to jury the submissions and will select up to five students per month to have their art featured at Splurge. The store will host an opening event at the beginning of each month for students to invite their family and friends to view and celebrate their work, and art will remain on display for approximately 30 days.
Malloy says, “I am so excited to launch this program to support and showcase the artistic youth in our community. I have always believed that it is my responsibility to do good things for our town with my public space, and now that I have a large product assortment that caters to a tween and young teen audience, I felt this was a great opportunity to give creative kids in this age range a place to showcase their talents. When I took the idea to the Greenwich Arts Council, they were enthusiastic about the program and introduced me to Eastern Middle School art teacher Ben Quesnel. He embraced the program and offered invaluable insight and advice.”
According to Quesnel, “This is a great opportunity for young artists to be recognized for their creative talents outside of a school setting. Not only does it give these artists a chance to exhibit in a professional atmosphere, but it invites the community to see and experience the artistic contributions that they are developing. I am always amazed by the talent and messages that our students are willing to share with us, and their efforts should be held to the highest level; SPLURGE is aiming to do just that through the Young Artists Program.”
Once the program has been active for a year, artists will be invited to have their pieces displayed at C. Parker Gallery for a charitable opening event. During the event, art will be sold and all proceeds will be donated to the Greenwich Arts Council’s Youth@Art Program.
Tatiana Mori, Executive Director of the Greenwich Arts Council says, “The Greenwich Arts Council is honored to partner with SPLURGE and its Young Artists Program. We are looking forward to this new partnership and the opportunities it will bring to the young artists in our community. We believe that it will broaden and strengthen the mission of the already established Youth@Art Program here at GAC, which seeks to engage elementary and middle school students from the Greenwich Public Schools with a greater understanding of visual art through immersion in teaching methodologies. Furthering knowledge of art, providing public speaking experience and enhancing self-esteem are among some of the additional benefits of this program.”
Every six months, the young artists will be invited to C. Parker Gallery for an opportunity to work with Tiffany Benincasa and will include a gallery tour or a presentation from a professional artist. Benincasa adds, “The mission of our gallery has always been to connect individuals with art. We are delighted to help inspire young artists and guide them on their journey. I am looking forward to partnering with Sonia and the Greenwich Arts Council on this program and continuing our commitment to the Greenwich Art Council’s Youth@Art Program.”
Artwork will be reviewed on a rolling, first come, first served basis and artists will be notified of selection of by email.
