LITTLE COLLECTOR

Frootloops of the world, Unite!

Jeff Koons goes to school

From ArtInfo. We love this article about Jeff Koons, Fred Thomas and other artists teaching in NYC public school classrooms. Which artist would you want to visit your class? We would choose Tara Donovan because her large scale sculptural installations made from simple materials like plastic cups and drinking straws are so much fun!

"Beginning next week — which, if we recall our academic calendars correctly, must be last school week before summer break — Jeff Koons, Fred Wilson, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and other artists will teach art classes at Title 1 public schools in New York City.

The project, part of Visual Arts Appreciation Week and organized by Studio in a School — a non-profit founded by Agnes Gund — will place the art stars at schools with chronically under-funded arts programs in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The participating schools are Harlem’s P.S 112 and P.S. 46, the Upper West Side’s P.S. 75, and P.S. 139 in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood. This will marks the first time that the 35-year-old institution has placed big-name artists in public school classrooms." - Benjamin Sutton for ArtInfo.

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(sm)art kids!

From Yahoo News, written by Eric Pfeiffer:

New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is one of the world's premier destinations for artistic and historical exhibitions. But this epicenter of worldly culture is not above admitting the occasional mistake. Even when the correction comes from one curious 13-year-old boy.

The Hartford Courant reports that 13-year-old Benjamin Lerman Coady found an error in the Met's Byzantine Gallery during a recent visit. The seventh-grader is a fledgling history buff who recently studied the Byzantine Empire in school.

While checking some of the dates on the map, Coady noticed that sections featuring Spain and Africa were missing.

Before leaving the museum, Coady attempted to inform the museum that the map was inaccurate. "The front desk didn't believe me," he told the paper. "I'm only a kid."



However, Coady received an email from the museum's senior vice president for external affairs, notifying him that his request was being forwarded to the museum's medieval affairs department for further review.

A few months later, Helen Evans, the Met's curator for Byzantine art, sent Coady an email: "You are, of course, correct about the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian," she wrote.

Evans even invited Coady back to the museum to meet with her in person. She says the Met is working on updating the map but isn't sure when a new, more accurate rendition can be put on display.

So, what lesson did Coady take from his experience? "If you have a question, always ask it," he told the paper. "Always take chances."

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Pinterest finds

Lego mortar anyone? Some daily inspiration from Pinterest. So fun and colorful!

Gift Certificates

We are very excited to announce that we now have Gift Certificates available online! Starting at just $25, they're a great way to give the gift of art to the little ones in your life. Our bespoke gift certificates on fine linen paper are perfect for a gift basket, baby shower or housewarming. Take the guesswork out of choosing a print while still giving a thoughtful and creative gift. Because a scented candle never inspired anyone :) ?

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Summer Beach List

Now that Memorial Day - and we hope everyone had a great one -we can officially welcome summer! And nothing makes us happier in the summer than a family trip to the beach. Below is our wishlist for an arty trip to the beach, from artist-designed towels to cool sunglasses and art-filled reads. (above is our inspiration: Sonni's Things at the Sea)



Book: Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies. Not all the fun happens during a day at the beach. A lot happens at night too as young readers will find out when a family of bats visits the beach at night!



Toy: Add some flash to your kids' splashing with this adorable sea creature set from Hearth Song. Perfect for little monsters who love the water!



Shade: For stylish toes, we love Essie's Absolutely Shore, a soft seafoam green that it just meant to be seen beside a bright blue pool.



Towel: The final touch, once you've donned your shades and a floppy hat is this towel by Rirkrit Tiravanija for the Art Production Fund which is guaranteed to have everyone leaving you in peace for the remainder of the afternoon!

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Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day weekend to our friends near and far! Enjoy some time in the sun with friends and family all around, and don't forget to check back with us soon for more summer treats and tips for an art-filled summer for the whole family!

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Tom Sachs Space Program Mars

We were lucky enough to check out Tom Sachs' incredible performance/installation at the Park Avenue Armory last night entitled Space Program Mars. The installation is absolutely amazing and creatively inspiring. Plus they have a wonderful family guide to the fair that allows even the youngest visitors to explore the (pseudo) space program with fun activities and coloring! See it now through the end of June at the Park Avenue Armory. Children under 10 get in for free.

Description: SPACE PROGRAM: MARS is a demonstration of all that is necessary for survival, scientific exploration, and colonization in extraterrestrial environs: from food delivery systems and entertainment to agriculture and human waste disposal. Sachs and his studio team of thirteen will man the installation, regularly demonstrating the myriad procedures, rituals, and tasks of their mission. The team will also “lift off” to Mars several times throughout their residency at the Armory, with real-time demonstrations playing out various narratives from take-off to landing, including planetary excursions, their first walk on the surface of Mars, collecting scientific samples, and photographing the surrounding landscape.

Trey Speegle + Jonathan Adler

One of our favorite artists meets one of our favorite designers in London! Trey Speegle will be in residence in London at Jonathan Adler  until August 21st. The new work is absolutely wonderful and not to be missed!

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Goals

Goals: "What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." - Zig Zigler

Image by one of our favorite photographers, Kim Holtermand.

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