Local gallery teams up with The New Children's Museum to Help Expose More Children to the Arts

Local gallery teams up with The New Children’s Museum to help expose more children to the arts.

DETROIT– Detroit artist Tony Roko’s West Coast Opening at Alexander Salazar’s gallery on November 20 will benefit The New Children’s Museum and help provide free access to the arts for the children of San Diego.  A percentage of sales will benefit the Museum’s Title 1 and other community access programs.

 
Tony Roko is gaining recognition as one of the nation’s most innovative artists. He’s been commissioned to paint pieces for Lady Gaga and Jay Leno. Ford Motor Company commissioned Roko’s work as part of its Centennial Celebration of the Assembly Line. His work is displayed in the permanent collection of Michigan’s Holocaust Memorial Center and he was voted “Best Fine Artist” this year by Hour Detroit magazine, a prestigious monthly publication.
 
The artist strongly identifies with the mission of the Museum and believes its public access programs to allow children from disadvantaged areas to experience art and creativity could change their lives.
 
“I’m thrilled to be able to do what I love as a career and excited to show my work in San Diego,” says Roko. “Alexander Salazar and I have similar backgrounds and clicked. We both used art as an escape from ordinary life when we were young. Art has changed my life in ways I could have never imagined and giving kids a chance to enjoy and experience the arts has become a passion for me. It is an honor to work with The New Children’s Museum.”
 
The only American-born child of an immigrant family in Detroit, Roko entered the Ford Motor Company assembly line at age 19. During breaks, he drew in a sketchbook – an escape he enjoyed since he could hold a pencil. Word spread of Roko’s creativity and before long Ford executives recognized his true gift. Roko was plucked from the line to paint murals for the company’s plant beatification initiative. His life has since been transformed.
 
“Artist Tony Roko is a living, breathing example of the spark ignited in children by exposure to art and creativity,” said Julianne Markow, executive director and CEO of The New Children’s Museum. “Tony’s path to artistic success demonstrates how the arts provide a bridge into a world not limited by language skills, social or economic background.”
West coast opening of Tony Roko:  Best of Detroit 2014 Fine Artist will be held on November 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1040 7th Ave, in San Diego.