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Free Art Prints For K-12 Schools |
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Posted by Westchester.com
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Wednesday, 30 January 2008 |
 White Plains, NY - Over 200 art and social studies teachers in Westchester County K-12 schools have just been offered a free 20x30 inch 1983 print of Alton S. Tobey’s historical Roots of Westchester mural installed at the County Court House in White Plains.
A copy of the mural’s legend, that describes more than 50 historical figures and other people & places in the mural that were significant in the first 300 years of the county’s history will accompany the print. To receive one, teachers have only to fill out a short seven question survey.
Initial announcement of the gifting program was made in a 20-page feature article about the life and art of the artist Tobey in Illustration magazine, that appeared in its Fall 2007 issue last month. A copy of the complete magazine article about Tobey is downloadable from the Tobey website at www.altontobey.org.
The reason behind the gifting, as stated in a letter mailed this week from the Tobey Collection’s curator to Westchester teachers is because back in 1983 after it was created and donated by the artist to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the county: “. . . Roots of Westchester quickly became a popular attraction, particularly for teachers who took their students on field trips to visit this mural, that featured important people and places in the county’s first 300 years. . . Over the years, most of 1983 prints of the mural [given away to schools back then] were lost, and it’s doubtful if any of the teachers who used them 25 years ago still have any. Awareness of the mural itself has slowly faded too, and from what we’ve heard, few teachers and even fewer students know of its existence.”
Tobey, who lived and worked in Larchmont for over 40 years, died in January 2005. The family’s gifting of prints that were recently discovered at this time is in memory of him, and they hope that the prints restored to the schools will bring about a new awareness of the mural as an educational resource for Westchester students.
Information on how to obtain the prints and a copy of the legend can be found on Tobey’s website at www. altontobey.org; and a copy of the Illustration magazine article about the artist has been posted on the artist’s web site and is available from there for download. Alternately, any art or social studies teachers in Westchester K-12 schools who have not received a letter offering them the free print can email:
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or call (212) 260-9240.
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