Brian Aszmus has built a highly appreciative and tightly exclusive fan base.
His family.
And until very recently, his work could only be seen in one place.
"It hangs on my refrigerator," says Debbie Aszmus, 3-year-old Brian's mother.
This Friday, Brian's work moves from the Frigidaire to the rare air of a gallery. He, along with 29 other artists between the ages of 10 months and 5 years, will be showcased in an exhibit called "Pint Sized Painterz."
The show's opening, at Annex 24 Gallery, 24 W. Walnut St., coincides with downtown Lancaster's monthly First Friday event.
Vanessa Reisig, who along with her husband Kenny, opened the gallery in March, says she toyed with the idea of a toddler art show almost since day one.
To pull it off, she invited friends from the Lancaster Moms Group, of which she is a member, to participate.
"The group is an outlet for moms to socialize and learn from each other," says Reisig, who lives in East Hempfield Township.
The moms gathered at Amos Herr Park on May 14. The Reisigs supplied the painting materials. The other parents contributed $2 toward the cost of the 12-by-16 inch canvases used by each of the children.
The resulting artwork will be shown at the gallery through the end of June. The paintings will be sold via a silent auction.
Proceeds will benefit another parents' group, Mom's House of Lancaster. The organization, founded in 1983, offers free child care to single mothers who have returned to school.
The starting bid for each painting will be $10, though parents had the option to purchase their child's work for the "buy-it-now" price of $15.
"Some paid the $15," Reisig says. "But many are curious to see how much money the children are able to raise through this project."
The Reisigs' children, Julian, 1, and Alexandre, 3, participated. If the no one places a bid higher than $10, the Reisigs have agreed to pay the premium.
"Most parents have," Reisig says, with a laugh.
Megan and Brian Smith, of Lancaster, are prepared to ensure their son Tyler's work goes to a good home —their own, if there are no other bids.
After trying to decide whether her 2-year-old son's work more closely resembles that of Leonardo da Vinci or Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Megan Smith concludes that he has a style uniquely his own.
"He has sort of a linear rainbow thing going on," she says. "He took his paintbrush and put one color here and another color there. It's beautiful."
Aszmus, of Manheim Township, says her son's work is in line with the other great abstract artists of Brian's generation.
"There is no discernable image that I can make out on the canvas," Aszmus says astutely. "So I'm thinking that the winning buyer is going to have to shell out a lot of money to beat the competition."
While Annex 24 has participated in every First Friday since its opening, Reisig is particularly excited by this one. Unlike many galleries, she describes hers as being freer and without boundaries.
"We are not one of those champagne- sipping galleries," she says. "We play our music a little louder, and we expect to feature a bold selection of artists."
Those artists will include the Reisigs. Vanessa is a photographer, and Kenny works in acrylics and mixed media.
Even though some of the couple's work will be on display Friday, the night belongs to the children who paint, the parents who love them and the other families who will benefit from their efforts.
"Everyone should come and support this," Aszmus says. "I don't think anything like this has ever been done in Lancaster."
Annex 24 Gallery
• WHERE: 24 W. Walnut St., Lancaster
• HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and by appointment.
• FIRST FRIDAY: reception, 5 to 9 p.m.
• LINKS: www.annex24gallery.com www.lancasterarts.com/firstfridays/ www.momshouselancaster.org
CONTACT THE NEW ERA: YourLife@LNPnews.com 
