November 16, 2006—Aspiring artists of all ages created 24 paintings at an event put on by the Children's Museum/Museo de los Niños San Diego last weekend. The free art project, an activity at Saks’ Fifth Avenue’s Brushes for Greatness event, was held at the Sak’s store at Fashion Valley Mall Saturday, November 11.

“Anyone could contribute their creative talent to the project,” explained Kay Wagner, executive director of Children's Museum. “Each painting had several artists resulting in pieces that showcased the product of collaborative creativity.”

“It was a delight to see so many ambitious painters participate in this imaginative activity,” she added.
The colorful abstract paintings will be displayed throughout Saks during the holidays and at the end of the season, will be sold to the highest bidder with proceeds going to the Museum’s just a brushstroke away capital campaign.

According to Carolyn Clark, capital campaign director for the Museum, the campaign is raising the funds necessary to pay off construction loans for the Museum’s new 50,000-square foot structure and to establish a $3 million endowment for future use. The Museum’s previous building was demolished in 2003 to make way for new condominiums.

Children's Museum/Museo de los Niños San Diego is a cultural and educational institution with a quarter-century history of hands-on, arts-based programs for children and their families. A new Museum at 200 West Island Avenue is currently under construction and will include art galleries, the Museum School, the Toddler Space, Clay, Paint and Design Studios, the Tech Space, birthday party rooms, a revolving artist-in-residence space and a sit-down café. The adjacent Museum Park will include outdoor works by artists and space for children to create art.