Start the New Year right, with Art Advocacy!

It's a short school week this week, but why not start off the New Year and dive right into some advocacy lesson inspirations!  Beat the mid-winter blues with these ideas for Youth Art Month. Start now and build momentum for March 1st!

1

Organize an Urban Sketching event (you don't have to be in an urban area - any size local community has tons of great places to sketch) in your community for students - particularly good to tie in with a study of local history.  Think about a historic place, with an indoor space to sketch.  Or, do it virtually with Google Street view on a Smart Board if you cannot travel!    

*Many years ago, my college painting professor in New Paltz NY, had us sketching regularly in the community, and in particular sent us to sketch and paint at the historic Huguenot cemetery.  I've never forgotten the experience, and while it's the wrong time of year to sketch outdoors in a graveyard, keep it in mind for the spring!

2

Make an in-house video on 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 Bonus Idea!

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