GRworks & 826LA Bring Kids Of All Ages Together
GRworks has announced its next show, “Pen to Paper,” which will feature stories from the children of 826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring organization, turned into works of art by more than 20 professional artists from animation and illustration, including Pixar, Disney, Blue Sky, and DC Comics. Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, April 27th from 3-7 p.m. at GRworks (114 W. 4th Street Los Angeles, CA 90013). The show runs through May 11th.
“Pen to Paper” is part of an ongoing series of curated shows for the pop-up gallery, which promotes artists in commercial art and supports youth arts in Los Angeles. Students from 826LA created stories around the idea of spending a day with their imaginary friends.
"I wanted to take the wide imaginations of children and see how their stories could be visualized by professional artists,” says Gennie Rim, Founder of GRworks. “It was really an amazing experiment to watch the artists tap into their inner child and create wild images that would equal, if not exceed, the creativity in these stories."
826LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students, ages 6 to 18, with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Services include after-school tutoring, evening and weekend workshops, in-school tutoring, help for English-language learners and assistance with student publications.
25% of the sales from the “Pen to Paper” show will benefit 826LA. In addition, proceeds from an accompanying print book and e-book for the iPad, created specially for the show, will also go towards the organization.
This latest exhibit further reinforces GRworks’ commitment to local youth arts, now reaching into the literary world. Rim currently hosts a free monthly art workshop for kids, held at GRworks and various galleries around downtown Los Angeles.
“In this show, little kids write the stories, and big kids draw the pictures,” concludes Rim. “My hope is that this project inspires children to share their tales and to remind artists what it’s like to be a kid again.”
Rim has launched a Kickstarter campaign for “Pen to Paper” to help with the publishing costs of the print book. For more info or to donate, please visit:http://www.kickstarter.
