Thanks to Blick Art Materials in Little Italy, art students at Mission Bay High School are seeing the world through rose colored glasses – lavender and blue, too.
 
Artists each received a $25 gift certificate for art supplies at Blick Art Materials for painting Beatles record album covers that were donated to ArtsBusXpress.  The occasion was a Beatles-themed fundraiser on February 25:  WHEN I’M 64 . . . A MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR TO THE ARTS.   Every student painting sold at $150 launches another fieldtrip bus of San Diego schoolchildren to discover music, theatre, dance, art and museums.
 
Two other corporate partners in the arts industry added their help to connect this classroom with the professional art world:  Nielsen Bainbridge donated all framing supplies, and Art Expressions Gallery framed each student painting and mounted the show.  The project was led by Mission Bay High art teacher Marian Palmieri, in collaboration with Patty Smith, owner of Art Expressions Gallery. 

Taking a fieldtrip bus themselves (underwritten by ArtsBusXpress), the class visit to an exhibition of Beatles memorabilia at Mesa College on February 23 was capped off by seeing their work on display in an art gallery for the first time.

Students were clearly moved by the experience and effusive in their appreciation:  “. . . the feeling of my art helping pay for children’s advancement in knowledge is indescribable.  This is a wonderful idea, and I’m so glad I was able to contribute.”  “ I will never forget my artwork displayed in a frame along with masterpieces that cost thousands of dollars.”  “Thank you, ArtsBusXpress.  I am now more interested in art than before.  I hope to start taking art classes when I graduate and go to Mesa College.”  “The art galleries were amazing!  Everything was so beautiful!  I never knew framing was so complicated.  Thank you for the chance to visit these wonderful galleries and for supporting kids everywhere.”
 
To purchase a  painting and launch a busload of school children on arts fieldtrips, contact ArtsBusXpress.