At the Early Childhood Center #4, there are twelve small sculptures by the artist Tom Nussbaum. Each sculpture is cast in bronze and painted in bright colors. Distributed throughout the school, they are displayed in an individual niche and positioned adjacent to a classroom door. Mounted at eye level, the works invite children to touch and explore them with their hands.

The sculptures also serve as location markers for classrooms within the school. They depict small groups of children, adults and animals in various situations with each suggesting small parts of a narrative. One sculpture depicts a bear reading to a little girl sitting on its lap; while another shows a boy reading to a lion. In still another children play with animal masks. More familiar scenes are depicted by other sculptural groups: a mother and child, a father with his son, and sisters and brothers. Nussbaum's whimsical works invite the students to cross the bridge between fantasy and reality.


(Please contact the center before visiting)


[More about Tom Nussbaum]
[More about the NYC Board of Education]
[Visit the Percent for Art Program website]