We're going to have an art show. (These images above and below are from a show last spring in our local library.) Right now it's vacation week and I'm thinking about it, hoping it goes well. I want to tell you about what we have planned, but I also want your thoughts/opinions/input. So I hope you will bear with reading a long post, to my questions near the end. *
Let me start by going backwards and explaining some history. Our school district used to be in 3 buildings, in 3 tiny towns, and every spring we had a big K-12 art show in either the middle or high school. Our display flats were nailed together hunks of plywood, dangerously unstable and difficult to hang on. We would spend a whole day hanging the show, invite parents to come that evening, and then spend a couple of hours afterward to take it back down. If we didn't get a good turnout, it was heartbreaking, after all the time spent. It especially drove me crazy to have students (who's parents didn't bring them back in the evening) ask the next day "How was the art show?" *
Anyhow - eleven years ago, we moved our whole school district into one brand-new building, housing pre-K through grade 12. During the move, the dangerous display flats were discarded, and we believed that new display flats would be built or purchased. But it never happened. So, over the years, I've consistently displayed on bulletin boards in the halls, changing displays regularly. I've also displayed annually in the local library, and one year I had an elementary show with a company that brings in displays and provides frames for all the work (I won't do that again. But there's never again been a district-wide show (our whole district is about 600 kids). Over the years, the secondary art teacher and I often discussed holding a show together, but without a good way to display, and with very different styles and teaching philosophies, and with schedules with no common unscheduled time, nothing ever came together. *
But this year, we had a change of art teachers. If you've read my blog since the summer, you would remember that we hired a new secondary art teacher when the former teacher moved away. And from the moment she was hired, we agreed we wanted to hold a show. A technology teacher and his students are building us display flats, with a composition board surface that will enable us to staple on it easily, so we're pretty excited. *
I didn't like the idea of spending so much time assembling a show and not having everyone see it, so I came up with an idea. On Tuesday, May 17th, there's a statewide school budget vote day. Our local teachers union does a big basket raffle for a scholarship fund, and there's a high school concert that night. We decided to have the art show that day as well, closing the doors before 7pm when the concert begins. So we decided to set up the show (in 1/2 the gym) on Monday the 16th, and leave the doors open for community members to take a look when they come to vote. Then we'll have an "artists' reception" from 4:30-6:30pm. The other part of my idea is to leave the show hanging for 2 more days, so that classroom teachers can take their students through the show (mini- 'field trips'), maybe even using the artwork for writing prompts! Then we can take the show down Thursday after school. Hopefully the weather will be OK, because we're counting on gym classes being able to meet outside that week. On the day of the show, the kindergarten teachers, unbeknown to us, had also scheduled an event for the gym. Luckily, we had cleared our event with the district office (they hadn't), because there was a potential for it to be a big foul-up. So they'll use 1 side of the gym, we'll be in the other (there's a heavy curtain divider). I don't think the phys. ed. teachers are too thrilled about the art show, but luckily the superintendent is very pro-arts. *
So I'm curious about a number of things about your art shows:
- Do you have an annual show?
- Where is the display held? Can it/is it left up or is it just on display for one evening? If you do leave it up, for how long is it on display?
- Do you have conflicts over the space used?
- Are you given release time to hang the show? To take it down?
- What surface do you hang on? Display flats of some sort? Walls?
- What do you use to hang the work? Staples? Tape? Sticky-tack? (Nothing stays on our walls with tape or sticky tack. It's a royal pain.)
- Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time?
- Do you get a good turn-out at the show?
- Do you serve refreshments? (Our PTSA is helping with this.)
- Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time?
- Do you try to display the work of every elementary student?
- Some of you have indicated that your students "enter" the show. I keep explaining to the kids who ask if they will be the winner "It's not a contest, it's a display. There's no prizes." Is your show juried in any way? Prizes? Ribbons?
- What do you do for advance PR? Send notices home? Contact local newspaper? Other ideas?
- Anything else you'd like to share about your show(s)?
Thanks in advance for your input!
I've been thinking about this recently. I did not have a show this year. In my previous jobs, I had an art show toward the end of the year or during YAM. Those were Fine Arts Nights, so students were singing as well. We had an ok turn out at those schools. At both of those schools, I just put the art up on the walls. At my school of 750, the classroom teachers were in charge of choosing both writing and art for each of their students. Art could be from my class or their own. All art was mounted and labeled by the classroom teachers, and the entire staff spent an afternoon after school putting everything up, using hot glue guns. A week or so later, the entire staff took everything down. At my smaller school (400 or so) I put one piece up per student, by myself after school. I don't recommend this method, but it wasn't terrible, either. I also put the art on the walls throughout the school, again using a glue gun. I don't remember having refreshments at either school, though it may be that I just wasn't involved with that part.
ReplyDeleteI teach in a small county in rural Tennessee but we have a great thing going for the arts. We have an old factory building in the county that is kind of the designated center for the arts. There are about 12-15 art teachers in the county, at all levels. The building has poles on the first floor that act as supports, I guess. We string rope around the poles all through the first floor. Every art teacher makes at least four panels of art. We use bulletin board paper that measures 3 feet by six feet, with a big flap at the top. We hang the panels from the rope that is strung around the poles. We hold a reception from noon til 2 on a Sunday afternoon, usually in April, and every child that has artwork is invited to attend. All of the art teachers bring three bags of pretzels, popcorn, chips, and three 2 liter drinks. We usually have about 1,000-1,300 people attend. The show is always a great success and fairly easy to put up and take down. There are also plenty of tables for 3-D stuff.
ReplyDeleteWe are an elementary school of almost 1,000 and we have Fine Arts Night every spring, which is an art show for all students as well as a chorus concert. (When we had band and orchestra teachers, they had their concerts a swell, but that's another story) The kids choose their favorite piece of art from the year and I mount each one on construction paper and label it with a sticky label that the students fill in with their name, grade and the title of their work. I ask the classroom teachers to hang the work outside their classrooms and they are always happy to participate. The kids take their art home the following day and they can take it down themselves.
ReplyDeleteWe don't do prizes, but I do select a piece from each grade level to be framed and added to our permanent collection. We don't do food at all.
The mounting/labeling are the most time-consuming, but typically I do it during class time while they do an easy activity. I just call them over one at a time and we usually have the whole class done in one 45 minute session. I have to tell you that I could never accomplish mounting that many pieces without an ATG gun, which is a dispenser for double-sided tape. Costly, but well worth it. Good luck to you!
Do you have an annual show?
ReplyDeleteYes, It is always in march- Youth Art Month
Where is the display held?
Yes, I start hanging Feb 1 and Hang everyday for about 1 hour and 1/2.
Projects are display for 2 months.
Do you have conflicts over the space used?
No I use the hallway. No one hangs anything in the hallways.
I use blue sticky tack to hang projects.
Are you given release time to hang the show? This is worked into the day and afterschool. To take it down? no
What surface do you hang on?
Hallway walls
What do you use to hang the work? Sticky-tack
Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time?Yes, and Yes. I print EVERY student's name on the project. No tags just my best printing with a sharpie.
Do you get a good turn-out at the show? Yes, standing room only.
Do you serve refreshments? no
Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time? one elementary and one middle school vocal programs through out the night. 6-8 p.m. Some parents arrive at 4;45.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student? Every child has aleast 3 pieces of artwork some classes have up to 5.
2nd graders have 5- 3rd and 4th have 4 projects. 5th and 6th have 3- all projects are 12 x18 in size.
Some of you have indicated that your students "enter" the show. I keep explaining to the kids who ask if they will be the winner "It's not a contest, it's a display. There's no prizes." Is your show juried in any way? I use no ribbons just displaying our work like an art museum.
What do you do for advance PR?
I do Announcements over the PA and notices home.
Anything else you'd like to share about your show(s)? Our Parents club has the book fair as well. It is promoted as our Fine Arts Festival.
We have a great turnout- If I turn my room into a clay display students get their clay that night as well. It is very busy but the turn out is wonderful.
Hi--
ReplyDeleteI teach about 400 K-8 students and I keep all student work in my store room until our show in early spring. I go through and pick 1 piece of artwork by each student, I print out labels from my computer with each student's name and class, and cut paper to mount all artwork for the show. At our school, 6-8th graders have to earn volunteer hours, and they love to help in the art room, even if they've fulfilled all of their hours!) Kids would come for volunteer hours, during study halls, at recess, etc. and mount/label pictures. The room we used had temporary divider walls in it that would only hold 1/4" staple gun staples. We have some refreshments (mostly for the school alumni). I am not given extra time to put it up for tear it down, and we leave the artwork up for about a month. I don't give prizes. I also use the show as an opportunity to post an art room donation list... When parents see all of the artwork they are usually pretty inspired to help us out!
Do you have an annual show?
ReplyDeleteThis is our first year as a school, but of the three that merged, one school had an annual show. I am trying to make it a tradition.
Where is the display held? Can it/is it left up or is it just on display for one evening? If you do leave it up, for how long is it on display?
The show is held in the gym. One afternoon to put it up and it is left for about a day, day and a half. One evening for families to come view and then open the next day to the public and classrooms.
Do you have conflicts over the space used?
Yes... but the P.E. teacher and I are supportive of each other. Hopefully the weather is nice and she can take her classes outside for the two days and I will be helping with field day!
Are you given release time to hang the show? To take it down? No. It works out that the last day of the show is my "day off" meaning I don't have classes to teach.
What surface do you hang on? Display flats of some sort? Walls?
In the past, I have used room dividers. If I can not find them this year, it will be the walls outside the classrooms and/ or the gym walls.
What do you use to hang the work?
With the room dividers, straight pins. Otherwise 3M or Duct masking tape.
Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time?
I do not mount the work, but I do tag. Usually, if I ask nicely, someone in the office will print sticky tags with the students names and grade. I have under 200 students so it makes it easier. I have done this on my own time after school, but this year I want to have an "Art Crew" and try to enlist some of my 8th graders to help me after school for a few weeks. (They are required to complete "service points" each month, so this would help us both!)
Do you get a good turn-out at the show?
Yes and no. My first year was great, even interviewed by the local paper. Last year, not so much... it was during the day and families were not allowed to take their student out of class to view the show together. This year, having an evening and day time viewing, I am hoping for better turn out.
Do you serve refreshments?
Cookies and punch have been donated and last year, served by the 8th grade class. This year we are planning to have a slushy/ ice cream social by the PTO at the same time.
Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time?
Not this year, and not in the past. It is something I would like to do, but find it difficult as only one person.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student?
Each of my students have a piece. Middle school selects his or her own, I select the pieces from 2-5. (I currently do not teach prek-1, so their teacher will select their work)
Is your show juried in any way? Prizes? Ribbons?
No. If I have time, I will make a certificate for participating.
What do you do for advance PR? Send notices home? Contact local newspaper? Other ideas?
I try to talk it up with the kids, especially the middle schoolers. I will send notices home and try to contact the local paper. If I do have an "Art Crew" I may have them make posters. Our school also has a website that is frequently updated that I will utilize as well.
Anything else you'd like to share about your show(s)?
Next week, during our Spring concert, we will have a little preview of sorts. I have made a slide show of artwork the students did as illustrations to a song they are singing. Hopefully it will be a good plug.
Last year, I had a cd player hidden in the back of the room playing jazz, and I know the teachers appreciated my attempt to make it feel like a gallery.
We have an annual Adventures in the Arts event at our High School of all 8 Elementary School work in our district. Each elementary art teacher may choose 15 pieces of 2D work per grade level (we teach K-6).
ReplyDeleteThe artwork is hung usually in one day during our Superintendent Conf. Day in April. We are allowed time to do this with Parent help! Our PAC (Performance Arts Council) committee helps and funds this show. We get paid if we have to hang work after hours (as we did this year because we were not allowed out during the day due to a presentation). They take care of the details: food (ice cream cups), raffle, building requests...
We hang the work with rolled masking tape (LOTS of it!) on the walls in the HS and the windows down 2 hallways. We also use the cafeteria for three hands on activity tables that the art teachers run. We group up and come up with what we want to do and they purchase the materials for us. We did a wizard hat and wand making table, Artist Trading Cards, and Spring Still Life drawing table this year. It changes each year. We get LOTS of kids, parents, and community members there. This year we had over 3,000 people visit! They charge $2 to get in and have ice cream. All the money goes to PAC to fund our visiting artists and performances for the next year. It's a HUGE fundraiser too. The all district band, orchestra, and chorus play at intervals in the auditorium during the day. It's on a Sunday from 1-5pm. LONG weekend for us..
It takes me a LONG time to pick work, mat it, label it, and pack it up. Besides the 15 per grade level, we are allowed to bring as many 3D pieces as we can transport. We do NOT label these, but they are displayed on cafeteria tables in the halls and cafeteria during the show. Typically the work goes up on Friday and comes down after the show on Sunday. It's faster coming down than going up.
Not every student has work in the show but I do try to bring at least one piece from all K-2 kids for the 3D work. I send a letter home telling them what piece is there and inviting them to bring their families... I also make sure they know that it is a $2 per person entrance fee.
The district handles the PR. I do send a notice home a couple times prior. A couple papers pick it up and a blurb on the news.
It's alot of work but well worth it and the kids get a certificate that indicates they were displayed there. I love the pride they get out of being chosen. VERY exciting and I usually take the next day off as a personal day so I can rest! LOL!
Thank you so much for asking these questions. You have prompted me to write a blog post about my upcoming show.
ReplyDeleteAnnual show? Yes, but this is only my 3rd year and my 2nd show
We display in our school’s all purpose room (playroom) think mini gym without the basket ball hoops and no bleachers.
Funny you mention Kindergarten teachers. Our Pre-k and K registration is the Monday after the Thursday evening art show. My kindergarten teachers are awesome! They always decorate for registration and now I have taken care of that. They want the art show left up as decoration and they will have their teacher assistants take the whole thing down the following day!! No take down for me!!
I am not given release time to hang the show so my parent volunteers and I will have the classes that I have that day help out. Which brings me to the next question of what we display on…
The walls are concrete. I use 2” masking tape to hang everything. 2 – 3 pieces of tape to hang each work. The kids are taught how to make tape rolls. Students make the rolls and we hang. I assign a couple of students per volunteer. I do have 5 display boards which I staple work to. I have also use hot-glue before. But that’s for signs that I don’t mind hurting in the take down process.
I don’t mount, just not in the budget… I write the students’ names on the bottom right hand corner of their work as they choose their art show piece.
Last year was my first year to hold a show and I was so nervous. I really talked it up to the kids and made art show “tickets” and we had over 300 people show up and raised donations of nearly $300 dollars. I had a guest book for people to sign in so I would know the numbers.
I serve water and cookies. A volunteer mans the table. This year I am asking teachers to bring in one package of cookies!! Thanks Mr. E for the idea
I would like to eventually have art related activities, but I need to think it through more!
I do display the work of all students. They choose on portfolio review day! About two weeks before the show.
The art show is not a competition. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I do however have a door prize for grade. I have a volunteer take names at the door and I draw names once the show is over and announce the next day at school.
I send flyers home with students two weeks before and little art tickets the week of. I also have a giant poster that I staple to a display board that I put out for car riders to see at arrival and dismissal the week of the show.
But of course none of this would be possible without wonderful friends and volunteers!
Phyl, I have awarded your blog "Versatile Blogger Award!" Click on my recent blog post for details. :) Awesome work!
ReplyDeleteWe have an annual District Art show - 23 schools in our K-8 urban district.
ReplyDeleteWe display at the local shopping mall. Each school has a 6-sided panel (3' x 6' panels, hinged together) to display 2D work and an 8' foot table for 3D work. The panels are set up by an entrance to the mall and down the center aisles by stores. Tables are arranged together in an open area which changes year to year. This year our show runs from April 18th - May 10th.
We are given a half-day to setup the 3D table and to judge the work. 2D work is put up on our own time on the panels at our school. The District picks up panels & sets them up at the mall.
2D work is matted, tagged & stapled on the panels. Name tags are attached to everything.
No refreshments. No art-related activities or other events at the same time but that has been done in the distant past.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student? Not possible - I have more than 900 students at my school alone...
There are awards given - Best of School along with 1st through 4th place ribbons (5 of each). Teachers work in pairs to judge each others work. Later a team of 3 judges - not affiliated with the District - award Best of Show ribbons for 2D & 3D in different age categories.
I send parent letters home with every student whose work was included. An award ceremony is held on the last night of the show at one of our schools for those winning Best of Show, Best of School and 1st prizes so letters go out to those specific students as well. Those honored receive 'prizes' of art supplies.
I'll be posting pix soon of our art exhibit which started just this past Monday. You are all welcome to stop by my blog at handsheadnheart.blogspot to see the results of our efforts this year!
Do you have an annual show?
ReplyDeleteYes- we hold our Spring Celebration of the Arts each March, during YAM.
Where is the display held?
At our high school.
Can it/is it left up or is it just on display for one evening?
Just for the one night.
Do you have conflicts over the space used?
Not usually. The middle school gym teacher gives up his space for me on that day.
Are you given release time to hang the show? To take it down?
Yes, I am given the entire school day to hang the show. It comes down that night, with the help of parents. Most of the students take their work home that night, so there is not much to remove.
What surface do you hang on? Display flats of some sort? Walls?
Walls and 3 display boards, which were purchased with money raised during our many years putting on the show.
What do you use to hang the work? Staples? Tape? Sticky-tack?
Masking tape on the walls (it's only for one day) and tacks on the display boards.
Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time?
I do most of the work throughout the year. I choose 12-16 pieces of art from each project we complete during the year. I am able to mount them ahead of time. I use white labels (stickers) to put the kids' names on. They write their first and last names on the sticker and then I put them on the art work.
Do you get a good turn-out at the show?
Better than any sporting event!
Do you serve refreshments?
Yes, our FCCLA kids cook food (sandwiches, cake, ec.) and we offer it for a free will donation. We usually make around $1500-$2000 on the food line.
Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time?
I offer 4 hands-on "Make & Take" projects for grades 5 and under. We also have the choir, bands, and music classes perform. Our gym teacher also showcases her students dancing. We also hand out 2 arts scholarships.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student?
Absolutely. No one is left out!
Is your show juried in any way? Prizes? Ribbons?
Nope, but I am thinking of ordering some ribbons just to put on everyone's art so they remember that it was in the show.
What do you do for advance PR? Send notices home? Contact local newspaper? Other ideas?
Put it in every newsletter and on the school website. Check out the local access TV stations- some adverise for free. Newspapers. Decorate a bulletin board with the info. We also send home letters and announcements for the month before the show.
Anything else you'd like to share about your show(s)?
You can see a few posts on my shows at my blog:
http://mrspicassosartroom.blogspot.com/2010/03/art-show-ideas.html
http://mrspicassosartroom.blogspot.com/2010/03/spring-celebration-of-arts-fine-arts.html
http://mrspicassosartroom.blogspot.com/2011/03/art-show.html
Hope that helps!
Denise
Wow, so many responses already! Thanks for taking the time to talk about your shows. I wonder if people realize how hard art teachers work. We do all this extra work - prepping and labeling artwork, hanging shows, contacting media, sending home notices or invitations, and on and on... without any extra duty pay.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at how many of you hang with tape - art often falls down when I use tape, plus I'm afraid of damaging the artwork, and it's just such a pain to hang any volume of artwork by making little loops of tape. So I'm impressed that you bother!! And a couple of people mentioned hot glue - your schools let you put hot glue on the walls?! I wouldn't dare ask, I think.
I'll be sure to show you my show when it happens. We weren't sure that we were going to have anything to display on, so both of us art teachers sent a lot of artwork home before the plans were confirmed, but hopefully we'll still have a lot to show off.
Oh Phyl,
ReplyDeleteI think I could win a contest for the most tape loops in a minute! I have it down to a science.
Do you have an annual show? Yes, with the budget vote.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the display held? Our budget vote is in the gym, so work that is matted from other shows is hung in there and the rest is the library(which is next door) and in the hallway by both.
Can it/is it left up or is it just on display for one evening? The work in the gym comes down.
If you do leave it up, for how long is it on display? about a week.
Do you have conflicts over the space used? The PE teachers aren't thrilled but cooperative.
Are you given release time to hang the show? Usually, but this year with testing I may just use the time when my classes are cancelled. The students help
To take it down? Art students help again.
What surface do you hang on? wall and tile
Display flats of some sort? No Walls? tile
What do you use to hang the work? Staples? Tape? Sticky-tack? (Nothing stays on our walls with tape or sticky tack. It's a royal pain.) I use scotch wall mounting tabs the students pick their work and put the tabs on they are sticky on both sides and the kids leave the back sticker on to make it easier to hang.
Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time? The office makes the tags with names, homerooms, and grade level on address labels, I purchase in my budget.Do you get a good turn-out at the show? some years are better than others.
Do you serve refreshments? (Our PTSA is helping with this.)The PTO has their community appreciation night at the show with ice cream.
Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time? not usually.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student? Two from each child 1-2D and 1-3D, some students have more
Some of you have indicated that your students "enter" the show. I keep explaining to the kids who ask if they will be the winner "It's not a contest, it's a display. There's no prizes." Is your show juried in any way? Prizes? Ribbons? Ours is a show and everyone is included.
What do you do for advance PR? Send notices home? Contact local newspaper? Other ideas? I the students customize an invitation, that is black and white with the info on it.
Anything else you'd like to share about your show(s)? It is with the high school, but we kinda take over.
When I arrived at my school in Tennessee that was the way everyone did it. I haven't asked permission at any place since then :) It doesn't mess up the paint, IF you do it right.
ReplyDeleteOh I forgot when we do use tape loops I prep them ahead on those clear plastic sheets that were used for overheads.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first year in my 11 that I haven't done an all-school spring show. I miss it and I'll go back to it next year. We used to bring in the volleyball standards and string clothesline and hang work with clothespins. We had cookies and juice and a harp player for our opening during parent teacher conferences. Our school got too big for that, and we've moved into a new building, so I'm working out bugs. (how to store student work up until the show? How to mount and label 500 pieces without going crazy?) I've been back and fourth on the prize and "winners" thing. I gave prizes for a while, but was uncomfortable with it. People and kids seem to like it, though. I tried "purchase awards" but that wasn't very popular. I'm considering "Art Ambassador" awards for 25 (maybe 50) and uploading them to Artsonia and having the Ambassadors go on to a smaller show in the public library....
ReplyDeleteCristy
Do you have an annual show?
ReplyDeleteYes, Palm Sunday weekend (Catholic school)
Where is the display held? Can it/is it left up or is it just on display for one evening? If you do leave it up, for how long is it on display?
It is held in the activity center, a very large space that doubles as a gym. It is up for Friday night and Sunday all day.
Do you have conflicts over the space used?
Never, I book the space 1 year in advance
Are you given release time to hang the show? To take it down?
I don't do the hanging, it is done by a parent group who are very into the arts. They also take the art down.
What surface do you hang on? Display flats of some sort? Walls?
Display boards, fabric covered walls, and tile covered walls
What do you use to hang the work? Staples? Tape? Sticky-tack? (Nothing stays on our walls with tape or sticky tack. It's a royal pain.)
Velcro on the fabric walls (the fabric is fuzzy), spray adhesive on the display boards (the boards are covered with a roll of black butcher paper so the tacky doesn't ruin the boards)
Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time?
Yes, ugh 2 pieces per students, 550 students
Do you get a good turn-out at the show?
Friday night we usually get 100 people, Sunday in between Palm Sunday services we get about 500
Do you serve refreshments? (Our PTSA is helping with this.)
Yes, Friday night we have veggies, cheese, crackers and Sunday we have coffee and donuts
Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time?
The best thing I have tried and works like a charm is have my 6th graders design the front of compliment cards which I xerox about 800 compies, and I make it a contest. I choose 20 out of 60-80 enteries. They love being chosen and all the students love, love receiving compliments from family, friends, and other students, can't stress this enough. "Give a compliment, get a compliment." Its my motto the week leading up to Art Show.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student? Yes, 2 per student
Some of you have indicated that your students "enter" the show. I keep explaining to the kids who ask if they will be the winner "It's not a contest, it's a display. There's no prizes." Is your show juried in any way? Prizes? Ribbons?
Never
What do you do for advance PR? Send notices home? Contact local newspaper? Other ideas?
Large signs at drop off in the morning, announcements in the weekly letter home, school website
Anything else you'd like to share about your show(s)?
Hope this helps!
Chris
Love reading all the responses!
ReplyDeleteReally you all do so much. I am more interested in this hot glue thing... How do you do that RIGHT?
I've tried the art show a billion different ways also. So I'll spare you the details and just mention 2 of the best ways to get parents and kids to come.
1. Have a display of raffle prizes in the art room for months before the show. I put them on top of my cabinets. At the end of the show my friend got on a ladder and I called out numbers while she threw down the prizes in a dramatic way! The kids came for that.
2. Having something to DO. A hands on activity or film screening ( parents love to see slideshows of there kids in action, or their kids pretending to be a famous artist.) is always a big draw.
The rest is trial and mostly error for me at least!
So much to think about - thanks everybody, but... yikes. So much to do, so little time.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in the hot glue "right way" too? High or low temp? How do you get it off the wall? Where do you plug it in?
I also liked the idea of the volleyball standards with clotheslines, but our small school doesn't offer volleyball as far as I know.
Erica, the activity thing you mentioned made me remember something from years ago. We had scheduled our local community theater's children's theater production "The princess who would not marry" (adults performing a production intended for kids) during the art show. I was actually PERFORMING in the production; I was the princess, wearing a huge blond wig and a ridiculously crazy costume. As a traveling show, we had done the performance many times, without nary a glitch, until we got to my own school. Some of the performers got lost and were late, so we had little time to prepare. One performer was absent and we had a new sub with a cast switch to accommodate the sub. The switch caused major mistakes and ad libbing, which I did not handle well. When the sub starting making stuff up, I found myself saying lines from the wrong scene with no way out. It was so frightening, especially knowing my own students were watching, and the play was starting to not make any sense at all. I had originally joined the club (community theater group) to work on sets, and somehow ended up getting cast in roles, but that was my last one! Too scary.
Erica,
ReplyDeleteI love how you talk about displaying the door prizes! I will have to do that. We have enough parents donate to be able to have a door prize for every grade!! Thanks for the idea, that will have the kids drooling!
I got this idea from another art teacher in my district and it's great for displaying artwork. We had a local appliance store save refrigerator boxes for us...and they even delivered as a donation to our district show. Slit them down one fold and lay flat, cover with butcher paper, and stand up for a 4-sided display. (if you don't mind the brown cardboard color you could even reverse them so the plain inside of the box shows) We stapled, taped or pinned the artwork to them. After the show, some of us save them to use and we recycle the rest.
ReplyDeleteso many great ideas!
ReplyDeleteI have an annual art show..coming up in June. Yearly turnout is good...depends on the time of June though (baseball games at times take priority!) So I do it for a group of hours so that families can come after the game if they need to. I've had families rush in at the last minute to see their kids work, so it really is something they look forward to. I make mention of it in the newsletter and send home an "invitation" in early June close to the event date to remind.
I have roughly 400 students and although I try to keep it at one piece per student I usually go WAY over that.
I label all the work by hand and make multiple copies of those colorful labels on the copy machine. I mount the work, unless it is over 18X24...then I just attach the label. Years ago I used to have larger poster board, but I ran out and its just too expensive to replenish just to mount.
My show is at my school and I cover the hallways with art. I use roll tape, and anything that may work. We do have cork strips over the cubbies. I ask the teachers to take down their work and I go thru on a day and staple my stuff up. I am given a full day sub to do this, but I always go in the weekend before and do the entranceway, library doors, and the bulletin boards...these things take a huge amount of time. Some days I still need to be there another day to do it.
The day of the set up I usually get a few parents to help out. I "direct" them and they handle what they feel comfortable with...major stuff is already done by that time.
The middle school teacher has stand up boards that I thought about using, but I never had the time to figure out how to put them together, and no one offered to help!
I take down the show myself about a week later..depending on when we are getting out of school...last year it was right before we got out and that was crazy...it literally went up and came down after the weekend so it could go home.
The pto usually does a pizza fundraiser that night so families can eat.
Last year we sold Houses for Haiti at the show and raised over 1400.00 for Haiti. This year I am going to try and do a silent auction for the art program (my budget is teenie.)
All work is decided on by me...no awards, etc. everyone is involved. Basically its a one-woman show mounting, hanging, taking down. But I love it, so I do it.
For me, its crunch time right now...I was out of work for about a month, in the hospital, etc...so I'm running fast trying to make up for lost time. My show is June 8th.
Do you have an annual show?
ReplyDeleteWe have one every year and use the cases and portable displays at our board office. We set up the show end of March and it runs through April. We get a half day release to set up and take down. There is a reception night towards the end of the show
What do you use to hang the work?
Stapled to matting and some sticky glue
Do you mount/mat/name tag all the work yourself? On your own time? Yes
Do you get a good turn-out at the show?
The reception night is usually VERY busy but I share some of the frustration in that we (3 art teachers for 7 buildings) can only pick so many. It's frustrating when Soccer practice trumps an art show.
Do you serve refreshments? Yes, food service helps with this.
Do you have art-related activities or other events at the same time? No but one of the art teachers puts together a wonderful powerpoint that plays the entire night.
Do you try to display the work of every elementary student? No, I try hard to pick some of the better results, some that really spark or some that make me laugh. We have over 3,000 students so to display everyone would be difficult.
One other idea I have used in another school was to grab refrigerator boxes, paint them or have the older students paint and decorate. Stand them upside down and you have a four sided display area.