The Brookline Eary Education Program (BEEP) is celebrating 50 years in the community with an art show showcasing student work.
The BEEP community, public and press are invited to the opening reception and exhibition at Brookline Public Library’s Hunneman Hall. The exhibition runs from May 18 through June 26, 2023, with an opening reception scheduled for Sunday, June 04, 2023, between the hours of 03:00 p.m. and 04:30 p.m.
“This exhibit spotlights what’s creatively possible for children as young as 2-5 years old in an inclusive early education environment – artistically, cognitively, socially and emotionally,” Principal Margaret Eberhardt said. “These high-quality art experiences with a local artist in the classroom and with the support of our teachers can serve as a model. We are making this rich collaboration visible to the community at large.”
These artworks, chosen and curated with teacher and student input, stem from art processes designed and led in the classroom by artist Erin Palazzolo Loparo. The works incorporate traditional and non-traditional mindful materials exploration and experimentation based on the works of artists Yayoi Kusama, Barnett Newman, Pablo Picasso, and Imagine.
The program also offered a unique opportunity to share connections between a working artist and the work of students and teachers. This innovative early education art program begins by sharing a story and a presentation and is followed by artmaking. Featured authors included Sarah Suzuki, Mo Willems, Nina Laden, Anne Rockwell, Katherine Ayres and Christie Matheson.
Made possible by a generous grant from the Brookline Education Foundation, the exhibition showcases original artwork and documents the mindful, discovery-driven process behind it. It features over 250 students’ art, ages 2-5 years old, across 23 classrooms.
According to Palazzolo Loparo, “Collaborating with BEEP in this way is entirely joy-filled. We’ve created a transformative model for arts in early education where every child is experimenting, making choices and finding meaning.”
To view selected high-resolution images, please visit here.
.
About BEEP
The Brookline Early Education Program (BEEP) is a research-based, innovative “inclusive environment where all children… can learn social competency, develop cognitive motor and language skills and expand their understanding of themselves and the world in which they live.” BEEP offers 23 classes across 6 sites throughout the town and serves children with a range of developmental levels and from diverse cultural backgrounds. BEEP Preschool programs are one-year models that serve children ages 2.9- 3.2 and BEEP Pre-kindergarten programs are two-year programs and serve children ages 3-5. All classrooms are supervised by the Principal for Early Education and two Early Childhood Program Coordinators. Small class size, highly qualified teaching staff, and small pupil-teacher ratios and multi-disciplinary teams combine to support children in the early years of their education.
To learn more, please visit here.
About BEEP Artist, Erin Palazzolo Loparo
Erin Palazzolo Loparo MS-ATR is a former BEEP parent, local artist/teacher and registered art therapist who has scientific artwork on permanent display at Harvard Medical School.
To view Erin’s artwork and commissions please visit here.
About Brookline Education Foundation
This art grant, administered by BEF, has been generously funded by an anonymous donor family to support BEEP’s inclusive programming.