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).