Montgomery County Public Defender Office Gets New Artwork
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The walls in the Montgomery County Public Defender Office aren't so bare, thanks to an organization that's found a creative way to help fund the arts.
The more than 20 paintings come from Fresh Artists, a non-profit that places art-work from children in low-income areas in corporate settings in exchange for donations to fund art supplies.
"We've given in eight years more than $800,000 in art supplies and innovative programs," said Fresh Arts Founder and Director Barbara Allen.
Allen says they started to donate some of the paintings to what they call no-budget-for-art organizations, like a Public Defender office.
Montgomery County Chief Public Defender Dean Beer says it's much appreciated.
"We have our clients who are in stressful situation. Some of this is the worst day of their life. And to come in and find a little beauty and a little art I think is so helpful and beneficial," Beer said. "I have a lot of quotes on my wall and one of the quotes I have on there is a quote by Doestoevsky that says 'The world will be saved by beauty.' And I think that is so true about this artwork."
