Sometimes it takes a gala to turn a class of students into celebrated artists. For its annual fete, which took place Wednesday night at Cipriani 42nd Street, artist Ruben Toledo worked with fifth graders from Amber Charter in East Harlem to create portraits of artists, celebrities, and patrons of El Museo del Barrio. Mr. Toledo described the project as a collaboration: "The kids helped each other out: some were really good at eyes, for example," he said. To get the children started, he did quick sketches of his wife, Isabel Toledo (designer of Michelle Obama's inauguration ceremony outfit). He also did preliminary sketches for all the portraits. The director of curatorial projects at El Museo, Deborah Cullen, said the project was just the latest in a long tradition of caricature by Latin American artists, which will be one of the themes of the exhibit "Nexus New York" she is curating to reopen the newly renovated museum in October. The fifth graders' portraits were on display and available for purchase for $500 each at the gala (UPDATE: about a third of the portraits sold, and the rest will go be going on sale at El Museo's Web site; proceeds will go to the museum and to Amber Charter School). Some of our favorites portraits are below. And click to this post for notes about the live guests at the gala.
RELATED: Party Pix in the Out & About Gallery from this year's gala and last year's too
 Tony Bechara, El Museo's chairman, and an artist himself. Ms. Cullen said the portrait accurately reflects his warmth, intelligence, and youthfulness. |
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 Mayor Bloomberg. We didn't spot him in person last night, however, we think this portrait looks an awful lot like someone we did see: Simon Doonan. |
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 Estrellita Brodsky, curator, El Museo board member |
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 Clarissa Bronfman |
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 Angel Sanchez |
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 Pablo Picasso |
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 Placido Domingo |
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