A R T S
Dear Mr. Oldenburg,
Ainsley's note was among 63 letters from
Latin's third grade in a parcel mailed from the
school to acclaimed artist and Latin School
Class of 1946 alumnus Claes Oldenburg in
late fall. Other letters asked what Latin was
like when Oldenburg was a child and about
his experiences at the school and included
invitations to visit. e package also contained
photos of third graders holding the sculptures
they created in art class in homage to Oldenburg's
e Latin School has studied your wonderful work. We got to make our
plaster sculptures. My favorite sculpture of yours is the ice cream cone that
you put on the runway. Would you please come back to Latin to celebrate
the 125th anniversary? If you can't, you might be able to Skype with us.
Fondly,
Ainsley Heaton
iconic pop art food sculptures and yearbook
images from Oldenburg's student days.
Lower school art teacher Brenda Friedman,
who initiated the letter-writing effort, had
little expectation that her students would hear
back from the famously private 85-year-old
Oldenburg. She had chosen Oldenburg as one
of the artists the lower school would study
during 2013-14 because featuring an alumni
artist during the 125th anniversary year
is page: e third grade with
Oldenburg's piece.
Opposite page: a letter to Oldenburg
from a third grader; young Claes
pictured in the 1946 yearbook; the
lithograph depicts a pizza.
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L AT I N M A G A Z I N E
