LEXINGTON — Michael Albert has been an artist in residence at Lexington's three elementary schools.
Albert is a pop artist. He makes collages out of images and words printed on cardboard. Cereal boxes are his specialty.
For two days, he made Western, Central and Eastern elementary schools his personal studios as he showed students what he does and helped them create their own art.
The Lexington PTO sponsored Albert's visit, which was coordinated by Mary Haas, art teacher at Eastern Elementary School.
Haas said she has been communicating with Albert for about a year and introduced her students to his work last year.
"He provides resources for teachers in a fun way that we can use in our classrooms," she said.
On Monday morning, the gym/cafeteria at Western Elementary served as the classroom as chattering students made their collages.
First-grader appreciates freedom that art provides
Asked if she likes art, first-grader Reagan Lautamen said, "You bet I do. You can create anything you want."
For her collage, Reagan used letters to spell out her name and found a rainbow to add to the piece. She appreciated the time with Albert.
"He's really cool," Reagan said. "I can't believe we met a real artist."
Josie Hall agreed. Reagan's classmate had never made a collage out of cardboard cut-outs.
"So it was new to me," Josie said. "It was very fun. At my house, I have an art room where I can paint."
Josie used pictures of Apple Jacks to cover much of her cardboard background. She also had a picture of Dino, the "Flintstones'" pet.
"I think they can relate to what they're doing because they see these things all the time," said Ashley Todd, art teacher at both Western and Central elementary schools.
Students and staff at the district's elementary schools have been collecting cardboard material to make sure everyone could participate.
When the session was over, students on loan from the junior high helped collect the scissors and about 100 bottles of Elmer's Glue.
Before heading to Central, Albert planned to have lunch with the junior high kids. He stopped for a quick interview with a reporter.
Lexington first stop for pop artist
Albert described Lexington as the first stop on a 2½-month tour. He made the drive to north central Ohio from his home just outside New York City.
"I'm starting with two weeks of schools, but then school's going to end, so I'm doing a summer reading tour of libraries," Albert said.
He next will head to Tennessee and Missouri. In all, Albert plans to do 85 programs in 12 states.
"This is a good way to kick off the tour," Albert said of Lexington.
The pop artist has been creating since his college days at New York University, where he earned a business degree in 1988. Albert was inspired by the great artwork he saw in New York City's museums.
He felt a kinship with a number of artists.
"Some of my favorite artists were self-taught," Albert said. "They started experimenting, and their art developed."
He noted he has not received any formal training. Albert's art evolved from doodles and pen and ink to serious wax oil drawings and to the cubist mosaic cereal box collages he has made famous.
While he studied business and dabbled in art, Albert also explored music and literature.
"One of the messages I try to tell the kids is no matter what you're learning in school, and no matter what your job ends up being, we all have different interests in different things that have nothing to do with our job or our studies," he said.
Albert realized he could experiment with art and see where it would take him. His first collage was comprised of stickers, labels, junk mail and old photographs.
His work is a form of recycling "rather than tossing them in the trash."
"I doubt if I'm saving the world, but it does make a statement," Albert said.
His first pop art piece involved cutting up a box of Frosted Flakes with the iconic Tony the Tiger, he of the famous slogan "They're g-r-r-r-eat!"
Albert's source materials have evolved to include anything on printed cardboard.
At each stop he makes, the pop artist puts together a piece for that particular place. He used an "L" from a box of Lucky Charms to start the word Lexington.
Albert also used bits from cardboard boxes that had contained Eggo waffles, Trix cereal, Crest toothpaste and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. He always includes his initials.
The possibilities are endless.
"If I did a different form of art, it wouldn't really lend itself to coming to schools like this," Albert said.
Noting he is in his 50s, Albert takes art seriously.
"There's no right or wrong way to interpret it or do it," he said. "Art isn't like that. You do it for yourself and try to do things that are meaningful to you.
"It's the ultimate form of human expression."
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
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