In Memory of Our Founder

Ed Warren, Founder of Drawn2Art (formerly known as KidsArt), passed away on September 21, 2021. He was the visionary behind the Drawn2Art program. Ed was a multi-talented person who held the position of CEO for thirty-five years. He devoted his life to art education, as he knew the cultural importance of making art an integral part of students’ knowledge and experience. He assiduously studied the Masters of the Renaissance, and passed down his understanding of classical realism to his teachers and to thousands of students of all ages. By trial and error, his classroom experience led him to develop an individualized program for all ages. His passion was to enable students to reach their artistic potential, and in doing so his program has proven that with personal interest anyone could be taught to draw and paint competently.

In the many decades that Ed was continuously upgrading teacher training, curriculum and the quality and breadth of the entire Drawn2At program, he also held the positions of Art Director, Director of Curriculum Development, Director of Quality Control, Director of Training, and was a master teacher.  As a teacher, his passion “moved” the most jaded of students, for he was the lover of his subject, and through his ardent appreciation, they, too, succumbed to the beauty and awesome power of art.

Ed started on his artistic path at the age of six years old. From his early youth, drawing and painting filled his days. As an adolescent he painted murals on the walls that adorned his family’s home, and in high school he earned himself an “A” in a difficult science class by drawing anatomy charts for the teacher to use as teaching tools. In high school, he also exhibited his work, won painting awards, designed sets for his high school’s plays, and designed and executed sets for UNESCO. Throughout his adolescence he sketched at the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in art education, a K-12 teaching credential, and a Masters of Fine Art degree from Rutgers University.

He inspired countless numbers of teachers and students, as well as donating his curriculum and program to teach under-privileged students at no cost. He set many people on a road to an artistic career, and left a tremendous legacy for the thousands of current and future students who will benefit from his realized goals. Ed believed that if you set the bar high, people will reach for it regardless of their age and experience. In that regard, he was exemplary at being an example for so many. He has left a great legacy, and through it he will never be forgotten.