EG2 - Educational Gallery Group at CityPlace in West Palm Beach Florida
Back in May 2009 my son, Aidan, who was in kindergarten at the time received a plain jane letter home stating a piece of his artwork would be displayed at Eg². As with every letter sent home I posted it on the refrigerator and didn't give it another thought until we approached the "Opening" night. My husband and I didn't know what this "Opening" was about, we never heard of Eg² and assumed art from Aidan's entire school would be on display. Our family didn't have anything planned that night, so we decided to drive downtown and stop by.
The gallery was located in Downtown West Palm Beach at CityPlace, which has a beautiful outside mall type atmosphere with shops, restaurants and entertainment. We found parking, plunked $1.00 into the meter and walked to the gallery. When we walked in I quickly realized that this was something special, the plain jane letter sent home didn't prepare me for what I was about to see and learn that night. This in my opinion was a big deal, only a handful of children were selected from Aidan's school along with the rest of the County.
Aidan's art teacher, Mrs. Barrera, approached us and explained why Aidan's art was chosen and what Eg² was. This particular event was made up of artwork selected by teachers from other schools all over Palm Beach County ranging from K-12. These handful of stand out pieces chosen where then submitted to Eg² where they were placed on display from May to August 2009.
As parents we were so proud of Aidan and were impressed with all the other artwork we saw, which included all different types of media. This wasn't 100 simple finger paintings hung up, we saw real talent and my son got to be a part of this amazing experience thanks to Eg².
Eg² (EG Squared) stands for The Educational Gallery Group, which is a NON-PROFIT Organization that was started by the Visual Arts teachers at Bak Middle School of the Arts. It's organizations like this that shape our childrens future and our community. My family and I are grateful that organizations like EG Squared exist.
On their website, www.egsquared.org, Eg² states their Goal "is to give any child in our county, attending public, private, or home school an opportunity to display their art or perform in a public setting. For many of these students it is an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives. For some, it is the catalyst that will determine a life long commitment or career in the arts."
If you're ever at CityPlace please stop by Eg²/ EG Squared/ Educational Gallery Group and take a look at all the amazing youth artist that we have in our County, it's Free although donations are always welcomed.
Mission Statement:
In partnership with the City of West Palm Beach, Bak Middle School of the Arts, and Alexander W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts, The Educational Gallery Group: A Community of Young Artists (Eg²) has been created as a space to showcase the visual and performing art talents of all students in Palm Beach County.
Information:
477 S. Rosemary Avenue, City Place
Suite 193
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
561-315-5947
Wed-Fri: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
www.egsquared.org
If you would like to make a donation to this wonderful organization, please mail it to:
Educational Gallery Group
P.O. Box 7557
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Information:
