Forget coralling kindergarteners when they haven't yet learned how to human, forget dealing with the grueling daily schedule, setting up an elementary school art show is probably one of the hardest things K-6 teachers deal with, and one that causes months of anxiety. I have the solution. It's a system, and you have to commit to it, but it will be worth it. First of all, the stuff you probably know. Stay organized and keep EVERYTHING.
Next, enlist the kids for as much as possible. About 1 month before art show time, start this process. If possible plan to have a school vacation week in there somewhere. First step is to lead conversations with all grade levels (yes, even K) about what an art show is, why it's important, and how it's a special event. Talk about how you decide what your best work is. Have each class come up with 3 or 4 things they think about when they decide that something is their best. Nice metacognitive moment, and you will be impressed and please with what the youngest artists will say. It's probably going to be something like "I worked really hard, it looks cool, and it's about something I like". Realistically, any reasonable criteria work, because every class is going to have a different culture, and all artists are different! Have them use this list to go through their portfolio and choose 3-5 of their best pieces, including any 3D work you've been hoarding. For K, that's it for now. For 1&2, talk about the fact that when something is special to us, we sometimes do things to help others know that it's special. We might make sure it's clean and flat, with no oopsy smudges, and we might set it up in a way that makes people notice it. This segues into having them choose a color of construction paper to mat the work on. Talk briefly about contrast and harmony but don't make too big a deal out of it. They will pretty consistently make solid color choices. Have them hand you their stack of work with the colored paper under each piece. For 3&4, do the first two things, plus teach them how to mat their own work. Here is a poor quality old video I made to show how to do this. Use liquid glue and have a "squisher" setup (drawing board, heavy books). Emphasize thin lines of glue and a finger-width away from the edge of the drawing, plus make sure they write their name on the back of the mat unless it's on the front of the art. For 5&6, all this, plus they will eventually be curating their own panels of artwork for the show. More on this to come in the next post!
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About MeI have 9 years of art teaching experience in grades K-12. I recently finished an MA in Art Ed at AOEU. This blog is a collection of thoughts and resources for art teachers. Archives
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