Oh Red, Where Did You Go?

CalPoets in Santa Barbara partnered with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on a student art and poetry project inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, “Roses.” “What today, looks like a rendering of white roses in a simple vase was once a vivid pairing of the complimentary colors, red and green. In his painting of roses from 1890 van Gogh used a synthetic or artificial pigment called red lake. He was drawn to the vibrancy and brilliance of this red, so much so that he used it even while knowing it would likely fade. Today just a few traces of red remain.” Almost 250 third through sixth graders explored the art of Vincent Van Gogh and the emotions we often associate with red. What happens when red disappears?” The students then turned their ideas into poems, writing an Ode to the missing color. Student poetry and artwork created with a playful mix of curiosity and wonder displayed in the Museum store window located at 1130 State St. The Vincent Van Gogh’s exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is up until May 22, 2022.