APPLETON - Big Arts in the Little Apple, an annual collaborative program between The Building for Kids and the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, will unveil a community-wide art exhibit on Feb. 3.
More than 700 original pieces were created by Appleton Area School District third- and fourth-grade students last fall and will be displayed in various places in the community through March 4.
The program encouraged students to explore the connection between music and visual art. While listening to “Route 66” by Michael Daugherty, a musical trip down the historic U.S. Route 66, students were encouraged to imagine the visual aspects in the music and how different elements in the music made them feel. It was through critically listening to the music that students were able to make the creative connections to inspire their pieces.
“It is such an extraordinary moment when the kids get to see their artwork displayed throughout the community. They spend weeks diving into the music, learning new visual art techniques and expanding their abstract thinking to ultimately create these amazing pieces of art,” said Jarrad Bittner, executive director of the BFK.
The art pieces inspired by “Route 66” range from collage to acrylic, abstract to landscape. More than 20 locations are housing the pieces, most being in downtown Appleton. A map featuring all the locations can be found at buildingforkids.org/big-arts-in-the-little-apple or at one of the art locations. During the run of the exhibit, the BFK will have programs and activities to encourage visitors to explore the connections between visual arts and music.
The 25 best in show pieces will be featured at the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Modern American Legends concert Saturday, with the student artists invited to hear the symphony perform “Route 66” live at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.
For more information including a map of the art piece locations, visit buildingforkids.org or foxvalleysymphony.com.