National TV? Cool!

Busy City By LILY BALOGH, 9, fourth grade, Perkins Elementary Magnet School for the Arts, St. Petersburg

By JEANNE MALMGREN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 25, 2002

Artwork by local students is scheduled to be featured as a backdrop during a song at the Grammy Awards.

When the Grammys air Wednesday night, several Tampa Bay area students will be watching closely.

While country star Alan Jackson sings his Sept. 11 anthem, Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), a montage of children's artwork will flash on a screen behind him. Among the images will be work produced by students in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

See the art from: "The day the world fell down"

The local works were part of a gallery of kids' art first published in the St. Petersburg Times two weeks after the terrorist attacks. The Times' Xpressions page asked young artists and writers to depict their thoughts and feelings about Sept. 11. Some of the images were graphic (falling buildings, flames, broken hearts); others were hopeful (peace doves, people of different nationalities shaking hands).

After Grammys producers saw the drawings on the St. Petersburg Times Web site, six young local artists received letters from the Grammys asking for permission to use their artwork. "We are honored to highlight the work of such a talented youngster," the letter said.

The children are:

• From Perkins Elementary Magnet School for the Arts, St. Petersburg: Lily Balogh, fourth grade; Alex Schultz, fifth grade; Rachel Reardon, fifth grade.
• From Pierce Middle School, Tampa: Tim Dickerson, eighth grade.
• From Ponce de Leon Elementary, Clearwater: Blaine Philipson, third grade.
• From Seven Springs Elementary, New Port Richey: Christopher Valentine, fourth grade.

Officials at the Grammys production company would not confirm which of the artworks would make the final cut for the telecast. One producer told the Times that as many as 60 pieces from all over the United States were being considered.

Even so, excitement is running high among the children and their parents as Grammy night approaches.

"I think it's pretty neat. We're going to tape it. I hope it's on there long enough that we can see it," said Tina Reardon of St. Petersburg, whose daughter Rachel drew a figure crying, with a poignant title at the bottom: "Wishing it was only a dream!"

Lily Balogh's painting, titled Busy City, is a Mondrian-esque study in straight lines, with one skyscraper collapsing into another.

Times pop music critic Gina Vivinetto was so enamored of Busy City when she saw it in the newspaper that she bought the original from Balogh, for $30.

Alex Schultz drew President Bush and the president of Afghanistan shaking hands across a podium, with a globe in the background. Peace signs are all over the painting, reflecting Alex's title: It's Time for Peace and Brotherhood.

"Everything else was about tragedy. I wanted to do something that didn't make people sad, it made them happy," Alex said.

At a glance

The 44th Grammy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday on WTSP-Ch. 10.

On the Web

To see the student artwork featured in the Xpressions section "The day the world fell down" go to www.sptimes.com and click on Xpress in the Weekly Sections directory on the left. Then click on Xpressions for a listing by date of Xpressions pages. Click on Sept. 24, 2001.

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