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!