Fostering Art

Anais Sax by Lisa Jaster

The Spring 2011 rendition of the Saint Paul Art Crawl is this weekend:

Friday, April 29, 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, April 30, noon to 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 1, noon to 5 p.m.

During the Spring 2010 Art Crawl, photographer and digital artist, Lisa Jaster, met a little girl named Anais Sax. The little girl asked the artist how she became an artist, and Lisa told her about learning at school and practicing and doing a lot of hard work and continuing to learn and practice and work at that which she loves.

The little girl asked, “Can I be an artist?”

The artist said, “Of course you can.”

The little girl replied, “If I make some art, can I put it in a studio like yours?”

To which the artist promised the little girl that if she made some art, she could not only put it in a studio, but she could put it in her studio during the Autumn 2010 rendition of the Saint Paul Art Crawl.

Months passed. Then one day in October, the father of the little girl contacted the artist. The artist was elated. She thought the little girl had forgotten. The father, ears battered for months, assured the artist that she had not.

The artist offered a huge space to the little girl for a public showing at lmj {originals} photography studio at 275 East 4th Street, Suite 110, Saint Paul, MN 55101 (inside the Northwestern Building). The father coined the term “Fostering Art,” the artist ran with it, and the little girl, Anais Sax, became a full-fledged artist.

The venture was quite successful. Anais supplied an energy that kept patrons in the studio. She was charming and in the mix. Eight-year-old girls can sometimes be shy. This was not an issue. “Which one is your favorite?” was a frequent conversation starter.

It worked so well, in fact, that Anais and Lisa are again partnering for the Spring 2011 Saint Paul Art Crawl. They will both be at the lmj {originals} photography studio on Friday and Saturday only.

Sunday is for appreciating the artwork of others.

If you think this would make a good story, please contact Greg Sax or Lisa Jaster. If you get a chance to meet Anais, you won’t be disappointed.

Anaïs Sax was named after author Anaïs Nin. The umlaut is not necessary for name reproduction. Anais is pronounced ah-nah-EES. She is still 8 years old (until May 9) and is a local artist. Her father is very proud of her.