The Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program, LLC (DPAP) unveils its first project: the transformation of a church interior from plain white walls to a visually alive space. DPAP created a unique onsite art school by inviting the decorative painting industry's top artisans to teach classes to students, novice through advanced, in faux finishing and decorative painting techniques while executing an interior design plan generated by the masters.
With minimal cost to St. Cornelius Catholic Church in Chadds Ford, a suburb of Philadelphia, the master decorative painters and apprentices stippled and dabbed twenty-thousand square feet of white walls with faux finishes and decorative painting -- transforming the plain interior of the contemporary church over the last six months into a richly decorated house of worship with faux wood graining, marbling, gold leafing, stenciling, murals, glazing, sky painting and Venetian plaster.
Bernadette (Bernie) Forese of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania is a master faux painter and parishioner at St. Cornelius. She hatched the idea to decorate the church and create the apprenticeship program with like-minded colleagues, master decorative painters, Marlow and Brita DeMars of Lebanon, Connecticut. All shared a concern that too few "real wall" opportunities exist for people wanting to learn these painting techniques.
They formed the Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program and its goal is to become the recognized leader for providing artistic support in the restoration of public spaces while providing educational venues for the development of emerging and established talent within the decorative painting field. Non-profit status is pending. With this first project completed, DPAP already has projects planned for public buildings in Connecticut, California, Illinois and Wisconsin.
The public is invited to view the results of the Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program at St. Cornelius Catholic Church on Thursday, September 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, January 26, Noon to 3:30 p.m. Students and teachers who participated in the program will attend and informally discuss the work.
St. Cornelius Catholic Church is located at 160 Ridge Road, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 in the Brandywine Valley suburb of Philadelphia.
For more information about the Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program, LLC, call Bernadette Forese at (610) 368-3899 or visit www.DPAP.org.
When the next building is selected, the master artisans will be invited to teach, and classes will be advertised. If you would like to be notified about the next project and classes, e-mail info@dpap.org.
FOR THE MEDIA ONLY:
Expansive and detailed project description at www.dpap.org
"Before and after" photos and video available after Sept. 11 at www.DPAP.org.
Time-Sensitive ON-SITE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY - Sept. 11 through Sept. 15: Artists and founders of DPAP, Bernie Forese and Marlow DeMars, will be finishing a decorative painting with apprentices at St Cornelius. Media photographers are welcome. Call Bernie Forese (610) 368-3899.