Begin February with an Art Advocacy Fab Five!

2018 is one month old!  Here are some ways to liven up February as we move closer to Youth Art Month.  Many high schools have a Senior Night/Spirit Week during this time, and there are some GREAT ideas here guaranteed to energize the celebrations!  These ideas are also great for elementary and middle schools, almost any time of the year!

1

Do a Stop Drop and Draw - everyone in the school - for 15 minutes.  Have the entire school (and staff) display their work!

2

So You Think You Can Draw Challenge - do this challenge by grade level/class, or hold a faculty and staff challenge

3

Invite local artists to YAM openings; make them honorary chairpersons. (Line these folks up now!)

4

If your community has an electronic billboard for community events, see if they can scan in an piece of student work to promote YAM as it approaches, or to promote one of the school-wide arts events listed here.

5

Create a cutout in a famous work of art: for example, The Scream, Mona Lisa, or America Gothic:  Have photos taken of kids in the cutout for $1, and donate the proceeds to a local charity.  Be sure the cutout has the YAM logo on it!  Do this at school events.  Better yet, bring it out into the community!

This week's Art Advocacy Fab Five has arrived!

Second semester is on the horizon.  Beat the mid-winter blues with some energizing projects and proven strategies to build awareness, involve stakeholders, and put some fun into serious promotion!

1 Famous Art Quotes - Have students create posters based on the quotes. Use traditional media or Photoshop.  Or, make Artist Trading Cards and organize a swap with a school in another state.  Check the Art Teacher's closed group on Facebook for schools looking to participate.

2 On My Own Time - Have a school-wide exhibition of creative efforts by students, faculty and staff (include your BOE and parent groups).  Host an 'opening reception' so that all of your stakeholders in your community can gather to discuss the role of art in their personal lives!  (Unity Through Art!)

3 Art Builds Community - Use the YAM national theme and pose that question to your students.  How can they best illustrate this?  How have the visual arts brought people together?  What is the power of the visual image?  Tie in with middle and high school social studies classes - the power of images to unite or to motivate.  Involve other student organizations in this project - how to use a "school community" art project to bring everyone together.

4 Add some fun and challenge to PE classes - Have students design and construct a 'miniature golf course' 6-hole challenge, and host a mini-tournament.  Get the staff involved also.

5 Create your own Mannequin Challenge for the arts and post it on your school web page (with permission).

Another Week, and More Easy Advocacy Ideas!

This is a short week, and I'm a little late posting this, put still, here's some more great ideas ("Fab 4" for this week!), courtesy of frequent blog contributor Donnalyn Schuster, to move you closer to Youth Art Month! 

1

Create a virtual gallery for you school website.

 2

Love the work of George Rodrigue and his "Blue Dog"?  

Take a virtual trip to New Orleans via Google and step foot in his gallery on Royal Street.  Here's a link: https://georgerodrigue.com/  For elementary students, read Why is Blue Dog Blue? and create some mini Blue Dogs for the local humane society.  Here's a video link on YouTube: Why is Blue Dog Blue?

3

Create a Photo Story of a collection of work by an artist.

Include some biographical material, title slides, and music. Display on your school web page.

4

Cannot get to a museum? 

Build a "Gallery Walk" - 5 famous works of art and gallery tags.  Challenge students to visit the gallery, observe quietly, and write a "Twitter" style short critique/statement on Post-it notes as they choose their favorite work.  Post the notes and use different color Post-its for classes or grades.  Do a informal poll to see what the top artwork is and announce to the school (this works best at the elementary level).  It's a great way to teach gallery manners, too!   Added benefit - have the staff and teachers choose their favorites to write about as well! 

Art Advocacy Fab Five for January 8-12!

It's never too early to get started on your March YAM plans, and these are guaranteed success stories ready for you to use in your school!

1  Make prints of student  artwork, frame and present to local officials.  Places like Walmart and Walgreen's make cost-efficient 5x7's or 8x10's.  Use this as a photo op for YAM during the first week in March.

2  Ask your BOE for an endorsement of Youth Art Month.

3  School-wide mural project - Collaboration/Unity theme.  Everyone creates a panel to add.  Or use the Post-It Challenge. Plan colors of Post-It notes to spell out school mascot or initials. 

4  10x10 (or 12x12) art challenge for students and staff using any media.  Install in school foyer. 

5  In cold climates - YAM Snow Sculpture Challenge!  Bundle up and brave the cold to create a temporary sculptural piece!  Compete in teams or classes!  In warmer climates, go outside and create Any Goldsworthy temporary installations; photograph and enlarge to display indoors. 

And don't forget....

6  Make Art Monday - every Monday in March, share what you are doing in you classroom/school/community for the visual arts.  Use the hashtag #MakeArtMonday and share on Facebook, at our YAM NYS page, or on Twitter!

Cure the Winter Blues with an Artful Advocate Fab Five!

Here's a sure cure for Cabin Fever from this past week's bitterly cold temps and snow, especially for those not able to get away to a warm place for break!  Beat the  mid-winter blues with these 'Fab Five' ideas as a prep for YAM.  Start now, and build momentum for March 21st!

1  Organize an Urban Sketching event in your community for students - particularly good to tie-in with a study of local history.  Think about a historic place - with indoor space to sketch.  Or, do it virtually, with Google Street view on a Smart Board, if you cannot travel!

2  Make an in-house video of what art means.  Have student releases signed, and have 'interviewers', volunteers to speak, and 'videographers'.  Edit and play in-house or on your district web/Facebook page.  Students can use a prop titled "What Art Means to Me" and write their responses to hold up.

3  Use props from #2 and post daily to Twitter. 

4  Challenge students to create an Art Rap - lyrics and choreography to create a video.  Show them all on a Friday afternoon, with popcorn for all!

5  Have students make mini-sketchbooks and do a drawing challenge.  Involve the staff, too!

Bonus Idea!

6  Create 'walking paintings' - cardboard with a face cut out from a famous work of art.    

Thanks to frequent contributor to The Artful Advocate, Donnalyn Schuster, for providing this week's  'Fab Five' post!