Art Show

My schools art show ended, I have finally purged my room of about 600 art projects I had stuffed in all empty spaces available. Art shows a hard work to put together I have a few tips that I have found makes it a lot easier.

1. Keep it small.
   
   1. I try to have the students do small art pieces no bigger than a 9x12. This allows me to display more projects in smaller spaces.
      
   2. I have also found that the middle school students do awesome small projects with a lot of detail. Even the students that are not the best at art, they don't get overwhelmed.
      
   3. One project is artist trading cards it is a small project, brings in art history, and can be displayed easily.
      
2. Try to get displays done ahead of time especially like me I only have a few hours due to lunch being in the cafeteria first.
   
   1. I tape together black strips of paper to create a 7 'x 2 "section and laminate it to make it stronger.
      
   2. Then measure how many art projects will fit on the 7' length and hole punch where the top and bottom of the art piece would fall.
      
   3. Next attach paper clips, I use gold toned, so the art piece can easily slid right in.
      
   4. I actually attach all the art work a few days ahead of time and they are all ready to hang up that afternoon
      
3. Use a dark colored fabric for the tables that sculptures will be on. I use black and dark blue.
   
   1. I also place card board boxes at different heights and drape the material over the boxes and place the sculptures on different levels. It just makes it look more interesting then sitting on a flat.
      
4. Have a spotlight section.
   
   1. I take the larger best art pieces of students and contest winners photos, newspaper articles, or artwork in this section. This year I had 4 contest winners. One student that went on to a National art contest in D.C. this summer.
      
   2. I take pictures of all contest entries so I can print and display the art work from the winner since usually entries are not returned.
      

Those are a few of my tips. If you don't have an end of the year art show, consider doing one. I also use an online artsonia.com year round as a fundraiser and online art gallery. My schools gallery.

 

Other book authors and illustrators

If you have access to a computer you can always show all different illustrator and author interviews from Reading Rockets. If you don't have access to show the interview you can also print out a transcript of the video, but I really recommend trying to show the interviews they are a wonderful addition to a lesson that you can also bring in literature to your art class or bring art into your literature class.

National Teachers Day!

My art lesson for today for 3^rd grade I bring in National Teachers Day. I use the Scholastic DVD Miss Nelson Has a Field Day. I show the first segment Miss Nelson Has a Field Day, and then the getting to know James Marshall. This is a wonderful segment about the author and illustrator behind the books. Then I have the students draw their teacher in marker. This is a simple yet very fun lesson.