Fri 1/27 @ 7PM
Howard Hitchcock’s work will be on exhibit at Beachwood Community Center through Sun 2/5. The Howard Hitchcock show is open to the public and the Winter Sunset Art Reception is on Fri 1/27 @ 7-9pm. The exhibit includes bronze sculptures, oils, acrylics, watercolors and hand-pulled prints that span 60 years of work. These pieces will be available for acquisition at the gala and proceeds will support the students of Beachwood High School’s Marketing/Junior Achievement class, aka the marketing class.
“We incorporate the Junior Achievement Company Program into the marketing program as a tool to teach about entrepreneurship and marketing management,” says Greg Perry, marketing teacher and Junior Achievement advisor at Beachwood High School. “We are using the Howard Hitchcock Winter Sunset Art Reception as part of of Junior Achievement Company. I have 44 marketing students. They are all seniors and come to Beachwood High School from 10 area high schools.”
“The marketing program is part of Excel Tecc Career Consortium. It’s a very competitive class to get into,” Perry continues. “The students are all college-bound and earn 12 college credits for successfully completing the program. A primary focus of the program is developing their leadership and communication skills.”
The Winter Sunset Art Reception is a special event created by the students, featuring an hors d’oeuvre and dessert reception. Many of the students are taking a trip to southern California to visit the area where Hitchcock created his art, and they will also see more of his collection displayed in galleries there. Funds from the reception and a portion of the art sales will go to the Beachwood Junior Achievement Company. Proceeds will also help provide leadership opportunities for the students.
“Everything about creating the Winter Sunset Art Reception has been exciting for me,” says Greg. “Two main areas stand out though. Number one, helping the students to understand and create a personal connection to art — from the artist’s perspective to an appreciation for the craft to the value of collecting art. And number two, creating the event, from the identity, branding, production, marketing, sales, execution and sales. This project has been far more than creating an art show. The students have been involved in every aspect of pulling together 60 years of art by Howard Hitchcock — the inventory, naming, pricing, shipping, displaying, grouping, cleaning and selling.”
The late Howard Hitchcock began his career working in wood, clay and bronze, with themes touching on the human condition. Howard’s talents are also revealed in paintings inspired by his world travels. He was professor emeritus of art at Cal State, Long Beach, and his art can be found in public and private art collections around the world.
“Missy Bystrom, the curator of the Howard Hitchcock collection, has been an amazing partner to the marketing class this year,” states Greg. “She has provided these students with a very rare opportunity to have ownership in a well-known artist’s collection and to create a very special event. The Howard Hitchcock Family and Missy are also providing scholarships to three marketing students. Howard passed away in the summer of 2016. He was aware of the project and show that the students were creating for him. The last piece of art he created and saw was Winter Sunset; this show is a beautiful tribute to one of America’s most gifted artists,” Gregs concludes.
“As I look back on all of his work, it really opens my mind to think how Howard thought,” student Madelyn Geisinger says. “Each day I look for the little beauties around me and think about how everyone experiences the same situation a different way. That is truly beautiful to me because it shows how different each person is from one another and it reminds me of how Howard’s art proved he did not think like others at all,” Madelyn continues. “Howard Hitchcock has such a beautiful way of looking at the world and I hope to one day, after working so closely with his art, be fortunate enough to look at a situation as Howard would.”
Art Gala ticket prices range from $30-$90 and must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased through a marketing student or by mail. Checks should be made payable to Beachwood Junior Achievement and mailed to Beachwood High School, Attn: Greg Perry, 25100 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood, Ohio, 44122. You can also get them by emailing here.
“What seemed to be an endless collection of random art pieces scattered across the floor actually turned out to be a goldmine,” says marketing student Thomas Ungrady. “After only a few days of work, I felt as if Howard was a long lost friend. I feel honored to be a part of this project.”
Beachwood, OH 44122