Toller & Children’s Art Foundation: Celebrating The Legacy Of Toller Cranston

By Hannah McCurley, founder of the Children’s Art Foundation A.C

Next month is Toller Cranston’s birthday: April 20th. The thoughts for Toller on this occasion are below. The best support Toller gave to our Children’s Art Foundation was the time he spent with the children. Painting ostrich eggs in his studio and a wonderful mural with them at the Ignacio Allende school.

I still remember my fascination with San Migue and its vibrant art community. Then I began visiting notable artists to raise funds for the Children’s Art Foundation, a non profit I started in 2010 to teach children drawing and writing stories. The mission was to help kids develop creativity,  social skills, have fun and stay in school.

One day I was invited with local dignitaries to see a school art performance in the campo: dance in traditional costumes, music and the artwork by our children’s art program. In the audience was a 95 year old Canadian artist, a friend of Leonard Brooks who just passed away at age 100. The lady artist was very touched. She held my hands, tears welled up in her eyes and said "Hannah, Leonard Brooks and I for years had tried to take art to the kids in the campo. But there was much resistance from the parents. But now I can die happy knowing that you are doing it for the kids." So when I met Toller the first time in his flowerfilled studio he already knew all about the CAF foundation and what I was doing. He said “I can help you with your kids foundation, but come to paint with me and we will chat about it.” His idea was to have the entire class of 40 kids from Palo Colorado to his studio to paint ostrich eggs for the up coming auction. The day arrived. A dusty bus arrived, full of excited kids, their teachers and four volunteer mothers, came to the door. Toller looked at me. "Do they know who I am?" I smiled and nodded.

Each kid  set to work decorating their eggs, then proudly signed their name on the beautiful colourful decorated egg and was encouraged to explore the huge Toller’s mansion. Their  eyes popped at seeing thousands of incredible art objects which filled the home. It was better than a trip to the moon. Toller chuckled: "They all wanted to grow up to be like me!" Toller will be remembered by the people in San Miguel, specially the children, for the rest of their lives, his extraordinary creativity, passion, talents and generosity fuel the fire within that propels them to dream and create a different future, for the better.

Join the Children’s Art Foundation Online Auction Fundraiser: Explore 100 items! Travel to Lake Como, Italy; fun gift certificates; masterpieces by Toller Cranston, Ed Osman Janovcik, and other artists. Art Exhibited March 4 & 5 at Teatro Angela Peralta. Closing bids March 4t at 3 P.M. For more information call +52 415 114 9419

Get tickets for the Michael Hoppé concert at Angela Peralta Theater on March 5, 5:00 P.M. benefitting the Chidren's Art Foundation.