Big Arts in the Little Apple, a collaborative program between The Building for Kids Children’s Museum (BFKCM) and the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, will be unveiling a community-wide art exhibit on April 5.
More than 650 original pieces were created by Appleton Area School District 3rd and 4th grade students this past fall and will be displayed in various places in the community through May 15.
The program brought art and music with a new twist into the Appleton Public Schools. Students were challenged to listen to, “Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), TrV 190, Op. 40” an orchestral tone poem composed by Richard Strauss, and then create visual art inspired by the music. The piece musically depicts the adventures, battles, loves and the life of a hero. As students listened they were encouraged think about and visualize the different elements in the music, such as melody, rhythm, dynamics, tone color, instrumentation and texture, and use that to create their pieces.
The art pieces inspired by “Ein Heldenleben” range from abstract to more figurative, bright colors to more muted tones. Over 35 locations are housing the unique 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.
On May 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., all of the pieces will be exhibited at the BFKCM for Art on the Town. The art reception will also feature live performances by members of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, an instrument petting zoo hosted by Heid Music and more.
For more information about the BFKCM, including its programs and events, visit www.buildingforkids.org.
