Art of survival

Shen the Fleisher Art Memorial closed at the end of November for a $1.8 million renovation, Scott Rosenthal was disappointed.

The resident of the 900 block of South 10th Street has been taking sculpting classes since 1991 at the country’s oldest free art school, at 715-721 Catharine St.

As disappointed as Rosenthal was, he knew the temporary closure was for the best.

"I knew in the long term it would benefit Fleisher and the community as well," he said. "Fleisher is about people coming in to take art classes and exploring something they maybe started as a child or always wanted to try."

Rosenthal, 46, was among the eager students who promptly returned to the art school when classes resumed in March.

A presence in the Bella Vista community for more than a century, Fleisher was badly in need of interior improvements for decades, said associate director Nancy W. Wright.

"I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time – having the buildings renovated and having studios that support our educational programs," said Wright, who has worked at Fleisher for the last 25 years.

The Fleisher staff is looking forward to showing off its spruced-up space at an open house May 21 and 22 to coincide with the annual Sorrento Ninth Street Market Italian Festival.

The mostly cosmetic renovations also enhance the function of the school for all who use it. A new elevator means students no longer have to lug art supplies up and down stairwells and makes Fleisher handicapped-accessible for the first time in its 107-year history. Rosenthal considers the elevator the most important part of the project because, as a longtime student, he’s seen disabled and elderly instructors struggle with stairs.

A new air-conditioning system will keep students and staff cool during the hot summer months. Because only part of the building had been air-conditioned, much of the space could not be used in the summer, Wright said.

There are now nine formal studios, all of which have been refurbished and feature improved lighting.

"Students for years were asking for better lighting and now we have that," Wright said.

Better-designed quarters throughout the school allow for more exhibition space for students. But perhaps the biggest cosmetic change is in the lobby, where a large window opens up the welcoming space and looks out on Palumbo Park next door.

WHEN FUNDRAISING FOR the renovations started in 1998, executive director Thora Jacobson still had brown hair, she said with a laugh regarding her now-gray tresses.

The largest chunk of funding came from individuals, with added support from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the William Penn Foundation and the Connelly Foundation, Jacobson said.

Through the decades, the Fleisher Art Memorial has somehow always managed to thrive – even in the face of adversity.

In 2003, the school found itself in a "financial crunch," as Jacobson put it. As funds in the Fleisher Trust diminished, its board of directors instituted a more conservative spending plan. Meanwhile, the cost to operate the school increased.

For a time, the school even considered charging a nominal fee for its historically free classes.

The institution is still rebounding from its difficulties, said Jacobson.

"The value of the Fleisher Trust has recovered from its worst days but it’s a slow process. Payout is less and the expenses are more, especially now," she said.

Fleisher continues to rely on donations from the private sector to keep the school afloat.

Nowhere in Samuel Fleisher’s will does it state that the art school he founded should forever provide services for free, Jacobson noted. She believes the thousands of students who benefit from the free instruction should support the institution in any "modest" way they can.

"If people don’t contribute to something or invest in it, they often don’t value it," Jacobson said.

Today, Samuel Fleisher might not recognize his namesake art school.

The Graphic Sketch Club he started in 1898 as a free community-based art school was housed in the nearby, now-defunct Jewish Union Building. Having outgrown that space, Fleisher purchased the vacant St. Martin School for Indigent Boys at 715 Catharine St. in 1916. Years later, several adjoining buildings were added.

Printmaking and photography classes are offered at another building across from Fleisher’s Christian Street parking lot.

The institution continues its founder’s mission of guaranteeing access to professional arts instruction – especially for minorities and those with limited incomes.

Ceramics, printmaking, photography, sculpture and drawing are a handful of the courses Fleisher offers.

Last year, the program attracted 4,000 people. This term, the school is offering 50 free classes and 12 low-cost workshops. Enrollment is still open for 24 of the 50 classes.

"Samuel Fleisher opened this place with an invitation for the world to come and learn art. And that’s a rather significant expectation to live up to," Jacobson said.

Greg Pastore, president of the Bella Vista Town Watch and co-owner of nearby Dessert, 806 S. Sixth St., said he is grateful for Fleisher’s legacy.

"It’s stayed around all this time. It’s amazing to me that they have been so successful in maintaining endowments," he said. "I think when people see how [the remodeling] turned out, they will be pleasantly impressed."

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The Fleisher Art Memorial will hold its open house May 21, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and May 22, 2-5 p.m. For more information or to register for classes, call 215-922-3456.