School Art Collection on Public View

On the walls of the Westport Historical Society’s gallery hangs an art collection many residents rarely get a chance to see.

From the pint-sized heroine Little Orphan Annie, sketched by Harold Gray as a comic strip for the Chicago Tribune in 1924, to Robert Motherwell’s large-size “Spoleto Festival,” a two-color lithograph painted in 1968, the eclectic collection provides something for all.

The exhibit, “Treasures from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection,” contains 40 pieces. The entire collection boasts 1,000 works from artists, such as Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Al Hirshfeld, Charles Schultz and Alfred Eisenstaedt.

  Until now, the collection has been solely on view at Westport’s eight schools as well as at some town buildings. Through Jan. 2, however, the general public can get a glimpse.

The exhibit celebrates the collection’s 45th anniversary.

In 1964, Greens Farms School art teacher Bert Chernow sought to create a collection that paid tribute to Westport’s heritage as an arts community and provide students with a visual arts environment. Like books, Chernow believed, artwork was imperative to a child’s education. With neither a budget, nor assistance, he began to garner donations to spur his cause.

“Burt was extremely passionate about this collection,” recalls Mollie Donovan, art historian for The Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection. “He would ask everybody he knew to become a part of this collection. He sincerely wanted to make fine art accessible to every child in Westport.”

Today, a volunteer committee serves as the curator and collects, studies, catalogs and displays the artwork.

The collection includes black-and-white etchings from Pablo Picasso to the comic strip characters of Mickey and Minne Mouse, donated by Walt Disney Productions.

 “Since these pieces are on view at local schools, many people are not aware of how sophisticated this collection is,” Donovan said. “The focus of the school art collection is to get children acquainted with art at an early age. We know of no other school system that has an art collection of this caliber.”

Group tours of the exhibit are available upon request. A $5 donation is suggested. The next scheduled tour is set for Thursday at 1:15 p.m. Openings are available.

For more information, call the Westport Historical Society at 222-1424 or visit www.westporthistory.org. The WHS is located in at 25 Avery Place, across from Westport Town Hall.