When I taught K-8 Art at a small private school, my budget was always, “Spend as little as possible”. But I found ways to make it work and give my students great art experiences despite the shortage of funding. If you're in a similar low-budget (or no-budget!) position, I hope some of these ideas will work for you, too. Here are my 10 favorite ways to save money on … [Read more...]
The Color Wheel Challenge
If you've been following any art teacher accounts on social media lately, you've probably seen it... the Color Wheel Challenge! The idea is simple... gather items in bright, solid colors from around your home, assemble them into color wheel order, and snap a pic! Then share your creation on social media using the hashtag #colorwheelchallenge . Here are a few tips I … [Read more...]
Water Bottle Fish
What can you do with a plastic water bottle besides just recycle it?? Here’s one idea…. make something fishy!! Celebrate civic engagement through art making! In honor of their 30th anniversary, the Children’s Museum of Art in NYC is issuing a new creative challenge each month. Are you ready to get creative? The #CMACIVICKIDS challenge for April is the "Plastic Bottle … [Read more...]
Make a Leaf Collage
Now that summer’s here, how do you keep your kids learning, creating, and spending more time outdoors than in front of a screen? One way is with this inspiring little book, “Look What I Did with a Leaf!” by Morteza E. Sohi. This is not so much a read-aloud type of book that you would share with a roomful of students, but rather a book to enjoy at home with your kids, or for … [Read more...]
Recycled Assemblage Sculptures Inspired by Louise Nevelson
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. Born in Russia, she emigrated with her family to the United States in 1905. Her unique artistic style was influenced by the cubist movement, co-founded by Pablo Picasso, and the found object sculptures of Marcel Duchamp. Calling herself “the original recycler”, Nevelson is … [Read more...]
