An art exhibit premiering at the Eatonton Plaza Arts Center Wednesday will feature not only artwork by famed Depression-era artist Alexander Kruse, but also an array of student-produced projects and artwork in homage to the artist.

The exhibit, which has been actively in the works since the spring, was made possible when Kruse’s daughter-in-law gifted 15 paintings and etches to the Madison Museum of Fine Arts.

The works depict what life was like during the Depression, said Bessie Brown, with the Putnam County Board of Education.

“The Madison Art Gallery was given 15 paintings and etchings by Alexander Kruse,” said Brown.  “He was a painter of ordinary life from the depression era to the mid 60s.  A lot of his paintings were very dark, epitomizing the plight of the worker during the Depression.”

Michelle Bechtell, Director of the Madison Museum of Fine Arts, said the donation of these artwork presented a unique opportunity for the museum to partner with a school in the immediate area.

“She gifted them to the museum several years ago.  When we received them, we were trying to figure out our preferences for an exhibition,” she said.  “We thought this was the opportunity to partner with the Putnam County School System for an all-student curated exhibit.”

Collaborating with the museum presented Putnam County students in grades K-12 with the opportunity to study the artist, the time period and how a museum works, among other things.

The opening reception will display not only Kruse’s works, but many other aspects of his life and the time period through student projects including essays on the artwork, musical selections from the time period by the band, a short video of work behind the scenes of the exhibit and a dramatization of immigrant life.

Additionally, students had the opportunity to interview the artist’s daughter-in-law, Bettijune Kruse, about the artist’s life.

Students also had lessons from an artwork restoration and framing expert who works for the Madison Museum of Fine Arts, learning about proper framing and techniques for restoring original artwork.

A website and podcast are also in the works and they will be available on the Putnam County High School website following the show opening.

“It’s just an amazing, amazing collaboration,” said Bechtell.  “This is a collaboration that’s been in the planning stages for several years but the teachers have been actively engaged in planning this since last spring. The students are learning so much about how museum works, but they’re also learning other life and career skills.”

The exhibit, which is the premiere showing of any of Kruse’s works in Georgia,

is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.  The exhibit will be running through Feb. 11.

For more information on this event or other events at The Plaza, please visit www.theplazaartscenter.com.

For more information the Madison Museum of Fine Arts, please visit www.madisonmuseum.org