Education Is Bliss

by Robin Rice

art

I think it's a Philadelphia first: children exhibiting art with an important artist in one of the city's premier commercial spaces. Rachel Bliss, Snyderman Gallery and assistant director Jen Macartney organized the show. Bliss, whose work has appeared in Time, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The New Yorker and more, is showing a new group of her edgy, haunting portraits (including one of her son Elijah) and animal images in half the gallery. This alone calls for a stop at Snyderman, but there's more: a group of pieces by children that shows what kids can do with the right opportunities.

Last fall, at the suggestion of her daughters, Bliss began working with 54 students at Albert M. Greenfield Public School. She initially planned one visit to Rosalie's first-grade class, taught by Mrs. Lemansky, but she was captivated by the students' enthusiasm ("They were so absolutely delighted") and her belief in the catalytic power of art, which she calls "the solvent to apathy." Soon she was also working weekly with her daughter Freda's sixth-grade class, taught by Mr. Saba. Because the school has no art program, Bliss scrounged recycled supplies like the cigar boxes which both classes made into sophisticated sculpture/haiku pieces.

For one collaborative project, she asked first-graders to arrange torn paper in face shapes on their desks, photographed them and manipulated some of the prints. Part of the proceeds of the sale of the collaborations goes to Greenfield (students will keep their own work).

"Children with Bliss/Rachel Bliss," through July 16, Snyderman-Works Galleries, 303 Cherry St., 215-238-9576, www.snyderman-works.com. Bliss will give a gallery talk Sat., June 18, 2 p.m. RSVP to jen@snyderman-works.com or 215-238-9576.