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Q. How do I schedule Art in Schools in my school? Please go to "Contact" on the menu bar and send an e-mail or call Christian Thomas Lee direct at 941.355.4627 and request scheduling. It is best if scheduling is done far in advance so teachers can prepare for the visit. Q. Are the pieces of art involved real or replicas? All of the art brought into the classroom are authentic pieces of art with substantiated appraisals and provenance. Most works are acquired from museums or major international auction houses such as Sotheby's New York, Christies, or Sotheby's London or are aquired from prominent national and international private collections. This is what distinguishes this collection from other similiar programs: all of the art is original. |
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Q. What are you hoping to achieve in the classroom? Most children today do not have access to the fine arts and this trend is continuing as school districts struggle to meet budgets. My goal is to expose children to great artists in history and great works of art in a very personal and upclose manner. I have found children are inspired by this very personal and hands on approach and for many it is the first time they have ever seen a Picasso, Fabergé, Pasqualini, or other such works of art. My goal is to introduce the world of the fine arts as a fun and wonderful world and ultimately, to show the students that the fine arts are interesting and deserving of our time. I also wish to inspire children to explore and develop their own artistic potential. By showing and explaining great works of art up close, I am showing children how they too can create art and express their own creativity. |
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Q. How can a teacher best prepare for a visit? Upon scheduling, I will let you know what specific pieces of art will be brought into the classroom. I always bring works by Picasso and Fabergé in addition to other works. Once you know what pieces will be brought, you can then, in advance of my visit, have your students studying the art and lives of some of the artist works they will be seeing when I arrive. One school in Texas, well before my visit and knowing that I would be arriving with a piece by Fabergé, had the students studying Fabergé and actually making their own Fabergé Eggs. When I arrived the students had a good solid background in Fabergé and appreciated more fully the Fabergé piece that I had with me. Another school took the same approach with Picasso and had the students studying cubism. When I arrived weeks later with an actual Picasso, the students were thrilled and appreciated greater the work of art by Picasso that I brought. |
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Q. Is Art in Schools 'show and tell'? It is not intended to be a 'show and tell' approach. Though prior study is not required, it works best when the students have studied specific artist works that they will then see when I arrive. Children who know of Picasso and Fabergé and other such artists, are astounded to see original works by these great artists in their classrooms and close up.
Q. Is it required that students study these specific artists in advance of your visit? No. If the students have not studied the specific artists in advance, then it is largely an art appreciation approach and is still a remarkably inspiring time for the students. |
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Q. What ages and grade levels does this work best for? This works well for students in fifth grade and up.
Q. What setting does this work best in? This is designed strictly for the classroom setting for groups of no more than thirty-five children. This is not designed for school wide assemblies.
Q. How much time is needed for each presentation? A minimum of 60 minutes. |
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Q. What are the costs involved? The fees involved are nominal and involve only those costs I incurr to travel the art. Call me for details and in most cases, grants are available to assist those organizations who need assistance.
Q. What role does music play in the presentation? Along with the art, I incorporate selections from the classical repertoire on classical guitar (see: www.musicmercyhope.org). You can also visit www.djcustomphoto.com/TheMercyFoundation for a multimedia gallery with a sampling of music. |
 high school seniors in Santa Rosa, California |
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Q. Describe a typical 60 minute presentation? These class sessions are designed to move quickly and cover a broad range of art. I show each piece, describe it and take questions. I always allow the students to hold and feel the art when appropriate. These are interactive sessions designed to capture the heart and mind of the child and engage them in fine art.
Q. What about issues of liability? You, the schools and the students have no liability regarding the art whatsoever. The art is fully insured specific to travel and the classroom. |
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Q. What kind of art might you bring? The collection is currently fifty or so pieces and growing. For the classroom, I bring six to ten select pieces by well-known artists with recognizable names to children and a selection might look something like this:
You can peruse the collection online and request specific pieces be brought. For example, if you are currently teaching impressionism, then it would be helpful to include the impressionistic works in the collection. If you are studying Picasso and cubism, it would be helpful to bring the Picasso. |
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Q. How should the classroom be set up? The students should be either on the floor in front of me in a half circle or in chairs in front of me in a half circle. Children should not be behind desks. The goal is to have the children as close as possible to the art. It is very helpful for me to have a whiteboard behind me that I can use as well. I discourage the use of chalkboards as the chalk dust is problematic for the art. Please review www.artmercyhope.org/setup.html for classroom set up and restrictions. |
 is to be up close and in a relaxed setting |
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Q. After you have left, what about follow up? I suggest that you choose one or two of the artists (Picasso, Faberge) or one or two of the mediums presented (impressionism, photography) and have students do an assignment in one of those areas such as:
There are any number of follow up assignments that you can design and assign to reinforce my visit. I always ask that you have the students write me letters after I left and share their thoughts regarding my visit. |
 The Christian Thomas Lee Collection of Fine Art, 5th graders enjoyed constructing their own ocean liners |
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Q. Can parents be in the classroom and what about media? I encourage you to invite the parents as they will enjoy it as much as their children do. I also encourage you to contact your local media and have them visit and do a story as it is a good reflection on your school. I encourage you to visit the "Media Page" and see several newspaper articles that have been written for other schools as examples. If you plan on having internal or external media in attendance, please review www.themercyfoundation.com/publicity.html for important information. |
 Christ on the Mount of Olives, by H. Hoffmann, circa 1888 |
Q. How long have you been doing this and what about the religious themes of some of the art? I have been taking art into classroom settings for over ten years and have been in front of thousands of children all across the US. During this time, there has never been any concern expressed by any student, parent or school staff regarding the religious theme of some of the art. The art is presented solely for the historical value. Students understand this. |
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In conclusion, my intent is to partner with you in the classroom for the purpose of encouraging and inspiring children. It is the greatest of callings and to make a difference in the life of a child is to define one's legacy. As a teacher, you should view Art in Schools as a resource you can use in partnership with what your objectives are. Please call me if you have any other questions. |
 as he holds a corncob pipe that once belonged to King Edward VIII |