“They were super excited,” Gauer said of her 12 senior AP students. “I think the idea of being able to paint on a dresser or a piece of furniture was just exciting to them, because that’s the kind of thing that you’re not allowed to do.”
Students first assembled the Tarva wood dresser. They primed the dresser, drew sketches of the designs on the dresser and painted it, inside and out, with acrylic paint. Lastly, they clear-coated it with a Polycrylic layer to seal and protect the paint.
IKEA asked students to decorate each dresser in the form of a favorite artist or art movement to act as their inspiration. Students painted in the styles of Vincent van Gogh, Romero Britto, Piet Mondrian and Roy Lichtenstein. Gauer’s students chose Britto, a Brazilian-born pop artist and painter.
“They loved it,” Gauer said. “The artist that they picked is quite a departure from the type of work that they’re used to doing in class. It was very refreshing for them to select an artist that was so graphic and colorful and energetic. They really enjoyed the whole project from start to finish. They were really proud of it when they were done.”
The completed dressers are on display now through June 10 on IKEA West Chester’s icon wall, 9500 IKEA Way. The dressers will go to the highest bidder at a silent auction and reception June 13 from 6-8:30 p.m. at IKEA. The retailer will match all contributions up to $2,500, with all proceeds benefiting Lakota’s arts programs.
“We’re proud to support Lakota schools,” said Heather Spatz, IKEA’s West Chester store manager. “IKEA is known for great design, so it was a natural fit to recruit the talents of young artists at Lakota and put them on display for all our visitors to see.”
Seven other dressers are included in the IKEA display, including six made by IKEA staff members and one by the Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty Township.
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