12-Year-Old Curates Show at Munky King Gallery on Melrose

Published Sep 13, 2011 12:00 AM

What were you doing when you were 12? Maybe honing your angry pre-teen demeanor, or filling out a slam book? Important stuff like that?

Well, one 12-year-old is putting the rest of us to shame -- Cooper Berella of Northridge recently curated his second show for the Munky King Gallery on Melrose, around a theme of preventing bullying and cyberbullying.

The Daily News reports that Berella, a lifelong artist and art aficionado, secured about 100 artists from across the globe to participate in his show, which opened on September 10. Many agreed to participate because of Berella's enthusiasm and talent:

Artist Misha, whose paintings are a fusion of anime and tattoo design, said she, like many others, signed on simply because Cooper asked them to. "How can you tell him `no'?" she asked. "That kid is awesome - he's like a superfan."

The show, called "

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Stop It!!", is part celebration of Berella's 12th birthday, and part consciousness raiser and fundraiser for organizations that inspire the young curator: GLIDE (Gays and Lesbians Initiating a Dialog for Equality) and CHIME Institute, an organization dedicated to inclusive education where kids of all abilities learn together.

Berella, who was diagnosed with autism at a young age but shows few signs of the disorder as he gets older, attends school at the CHIME Institute.

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12-Year-Old Curates Show at Munky King Gallery on Melrose