Local students show their art at U. exhibit

After noticing the positive reaction a group of city high school students had to seeing their art on display, Kelly Writers House Faculty Director Al Filreis had nothing but good vibes. "Isn't it great? It's really fabulous," the English professor said at the opening of the Edison-Fareira High School art exhibit at the Writers House Tuesday. An offshoot of the Penn-Edison Tutoring Project, which was created seven years ago to aid students studying English at North Philadelphia's Edison-Fareira High School, the exhibit is the result of a first-time collaboration between the high school's art department and the Writers House. The effort was coordinated by Filreis and Edison-Fareira art teacher Susan Odessey. "This is a big deal for [the students]," Odessey said. "I hope this gets well-received and that this is the beginning of a long collaboration." More than 30 student-artists from Edison-Fareira displayed their artwork at the exhibit, which included self-portraits in watercolor, graphite, pencil and oil, as well as sculptures and storyboards. Penn Fine Arts students associated with the Writers House aided the students in mounting their artwork and showed them how to hang and present it. All of the students whose work was being exhibited are art majors at Edison-Fareira. They adhere to a rigorous schedule, taking art classes for 1 1/2 hours each day. Much of the art on exhibit, which will be on display at the house at 3805 Locust Walk until mid-April, has been the product of year-long efforts by the students. The students worked with local artist Francisco Sandoval as their resident artist. He visited the high school three times a week, demonstrating the techniques needed to create the self-portraits in clay which were among the pieces exhibited. Music played and the student-artists danced as they wandered about the Writers House examining their artwork and the work of their peers. "I'm really proud," Edison-Fareira senior Keith Howe said. "I'm letting other people see my artwork besides my family and classmates." Edison-Fareira junior Levi Falice, who had the most artwork on display, agreed. "It feels pretty cool. I've never had my work displayed in such a public place." Other Penn students wandered in to see the exhibit as well. "I'm really impressed," College junior Hillary Aisenstein said. "Penn is fulfilling its role as a university, not just in a teaching and research capacity, but also in its responsibility to take part in community service." The students' artwork can also be seen on the virtual gallery at www.upenn.edu/computing/group/dmp/edison/list.htm.