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The
History
The show was introduced to high school art classes in 1995 when The Great Frame Up founders, David and Marlowe Klitzky, realized funds for local high school art programs were diminishing. The solution was this program, where their seven Chicago-area Great Frame Up stores adopted community high school art departments, providing supplies such as artist portfolios, mat board and custom framing for over 700 pieces of art. The stores sponsor 27 juried art exhibitions for their adopted high schools with the framed artwork showcased. Each high school’s art gallery exhibitions at The Great Frame Up are on display for three weeks (exhibition dates below).
All participants
receive a certificate of recognition
and the best-of-show winners
receive cash awards. This
gallery showing serves as
a great opportunity for young
artists to earn recognition,
and see their artwork framed
in the light of a professional
gallery.
The
Change to The Lisa Show
During
the course of 2002, David
and Marlowe’s daughter
Lisa lost her battle with
a very rare form of cancer.
Among a great many things,
Lisa was an artist and loved
to express herself in her
work as a graphic designer
and in her paintings and drawings.
In memory of Lisa and her
love of all things art, we
renamed the Creative Self-Expression
program The Lisa Show starting
in 2003. Further, we have
given a definition to Lisa’s
initials that we believe captures
the essence of our philosophy.
Lisa = Life Is
Simply Art.
$7,500
In Scholarship Money
Not only are the seven Great Frame Up stores sponsoring 28 high school art exhibitions, the stores also take the time to further showcase their works of art. The Lisa Show will invite the five best-of-show winners from each high school to bring their artwork to a Best-of-the-Best exhibition where they compete for higher-learning scholarships. A total of $7,500 in scholarship money will be awarded. The Best-of-the-Best exhibition will be held (To Be Announced)
Two National Recognition Awards
The Lisa
Show has received the New
Initiative Award from the
Business Committee for the
Arts, Inc., and Forbes Magazine,
and the Illinois Art Education
Association Distinguished
Service to Art Education Outside
of the Profession Award. The
IAEA award recognizes companies
that have provided outstanding
support in the arts for over
five years.
In addition to national recognition, 40 pieces of art from The Lisa Shows are currently on display at the new University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital designated gallery.
The
Prizes & Donations
This year,
The Great Frame Up will be
giving away over $100,000
in art supplies and scholarships.
All
told, the stores have donated
over $1 million in materials
and time to support this program.
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