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Fifth Graders Shine Light on Michael Jackson Legacy Two Years After His Death

FIRST MICHAEL JACKSON EVENT SCHEDULED SINCE SCHOOL UNCOVERED JACKSON’S NAME ON AUDITORIUM SIGN LAST FALL

Hollywood, Calif., June 21, 2011 – Gardner Street Elementary School will host a private, invitation only event on Wednesday, June 22, to honor the humanitarian legacy of Michael Jackson. The hour-long affair is being held in association with The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait to benefit the school’s arts and music program and will start at noon in its Michael Jackson Auditorium, located on school grounds.

Jackson attended Gardner as an 11-year-old sixth grader and supported the school during his lifetime. The auditorium was named in his honor in 1989. The school made worldwide headlines last year when district officials told workers to remove the covering on the building’s sign that had obscured the name “Michael Jackson” since 2003, when Jackson was accused of child molestation.

Students and teachers, along with special guests, will gather in the auditorium to shine the spotlight on the school’s mission to build an immersive K-6 music program now threatened by the current budget crisis in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait is a one-of-a kind, interactive work of art made from one million hand-drawn dots, using an art technique called “pointillism.” Each dot represents a fan somewhere in the world (one dot = one fan). David Ilan, internationally renowned tribute portrait artist, visited the school several times and taught the students how to do “dot drawings" themselves. He gave them an assignment to create their own artwork inspired by Michael Jackson's humanitarianism.

“The fifth graders have been working very hard to capture the spirit of giving and kindness through their pointillism artwork,” said Kenneth L. Urbina, the school’s principal.

During the event, the youngsters will present the completed dot drawings and witness Ilan drawing each of their own dots in the portrait. In another highlight of the ceremony, several special guests who were Jackson’s friends will also attend to be honored with dots. A few surprise guests are set to join them in watching Ilan draw the individual dots.

Following the event, the students’ artwork will be available at The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait.com online auction to support Gardner’s music and arts program. All the funds raised will go directly to the school.

 

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Source: MJTP / MJ-Upbeat.com