TeachKidsArt

a resource for teachers & families

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Artist Birthdays
  • SHOP TPT
  • About
  • Contact
  • TIP Vault

Create a Successful All-School Display

By Cheryl Trowbridge Leave a Comment

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

TLCS County Fair Mural 2013Sometimes life can take some unexpected turns! A few months ago, I had to take a leave of absence from my teaching position to deal with a family emergency. My dad had passed away leaving no plan for my 93 year old mom. So we moved her 2500 miles to live where we can give her the help she needs. While I’m blessed to have this special time with my mom, her needs are too great for me to maintain a regular teaching schedule right now. So I made the difficult decision to not return to the classroom this fall. Now a new art teacher has taken my place, and while I miss my students so much, I’m just thankful that they will continue to have art! Here is their first project with their new art teacher…. an all-school display at our County Fair. They won 1st place – I’m so proud of them!! Well done, Mrs. Campbell!

How to Create a Successful All-School Display….

When creating an all-school display, every student should participate in a meaningful way. This can be a challenge when the numbers get big! Careful planning will give you the structure you need to make sure everyone can be included. Follow these basic steps to create your own successful all-school display:

1. Determine the amount of space you have to work with. You’ll need to work backwards from this to determine the maximum size each student’s artwork can be. The size of the bulletin board or wall space you’re allowed to use may feel limiting, but just think of it as motivation to be creative!

2. Your theme is the next thing to consider. (The theme for our County Fair this year was “Cowboy Boots and Country Roots”.) If you have the freedom to choose your own theme, consider ideas that will best represent your school’s strengths and what makes it unique.

3. Brainstorm visual images related to your theme. Consider ways to combine these elements to tell a story, communicate an idea, or create a mural. Choose the medium (or media) that will work best for each aspect of your design.

4. Assign a different part of the display to each grade level, if possible. This will not only make it easier to teach the lesson to each class, but it will also help parents narrow down where to look to find their child’s artwork. A legend showing which class did what can also be helpful. Older students will enjoy helping with backgrounds, borders, and other details that aren’t otherwise assigned to a specific class.

5. Send a note home to let parents know when you’ll be doing this project with each class, and ask them to try not to schedule any appointments during their child’s Art time, if possible.  This is also a good time to give parents the details of when and where they can see the display. Offer a make-up period for students who are absent on the day you do this project with their class – no one likes to be left out when you create a public display!

6. When the time comes to hang your display, enlist help from other teachers, parent volunteers, and older students. Remember to bring your camera and take pictures!

I followed these same steps to create our display for last year’s County Fair…. challenging because of its theme (“The Berry Best”), and also because of the small space they gave us in which to fit artwork from every student. Tom Rath’s wonderful book “How Full Is Your Bucket? for Kids” was my inspiration for this display!

Many hands make light work when you enlist the help of other teachers!
Many hands make light work when you enlist the help of other teachers!

Table space in our exhibit below allowed us to display books of student artwork that there wasn’t room for on the walls! Every year is different when it comes to the space they give us, so it helps to be flexible!

Celebrating cultural diversity through art!
Celebrating cultural diversity through art!

 I may not be in the classroom on a regular basis this year, but I’ll still have lots of great content to share here on my blog and in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, so stay tuned!

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

You may also like...

No related posts.

Filed Under: Bulletin Boards, Tips for Teaching Art Tagged With: all-school display, County Fair display

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post - Follow by Email

Find a ** FREE ** Lesson (Below):

  • Lessons Inspired by Famous Artists
    • Britto, Romero
    • Burch, Laurel
    • Calder, Alexander
    • Carle, Eric
    • Cezanne, Paul
    • Chagall, Marc
    • Chihuly, Dale
    • Dali, Salvadore
    • Da Vinci, Leonardo
    • Delaunay, Robert & Sonia
    • Escher, M.C.
    • Goldsworthy, Andy
    • Haring, Keith
    • Johns, Jasper
    • Kahlo, Frida
    • Kandinsky, Wassily
    • Klee, Paul
    • Klimt, Gustave
    • Matisse, Henri
    • Miro, Joan
    • Mondrian, Piet
    • Monet, Claude
    • O’Keeffe, Georgia
    • Old Masters
    • Picasso, Pablo
    • Pollock, Jackson
    • Pompon, Francois
    • Posada, Jose
    • Remington, Frederick
    • Renoir, Auguste
    • Seurat, Georges
    • Seuss, Dr.
    • Van Gogh, Vincent
    • Van Honthorst, Gerard
    • Wood, Grant
  • Lessons by Holiday
    • 100th Day of School
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • International Dot Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Years
    • Other
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Lessons by Culture
    • Africa
    • America
    • Chile
    • China
    • Europe
    • Haiti
    • Japan
    • Mexico
    • Middle East
  • Lessons by Process
    • 3D / Sculpture
    • Bookmaking
    • Calligraphy
    • Collage
    • Drawing
    • Embossing
    • Folding
    • Lettering
    • Micrography
    • Mosaic
    • Origami
    • Painting
    • Paper Cutting
    • Paper Folding
    • Printmaking
    • Quilling
    • Recycling with Art
    • Sketching
    • Stitching / Embroidery
    • Weaving
  • Lessons by Medium
    • Acrylic
    • Clay
    • Colored Pencil
    • Crayon
    • Digital / Computer
    • Fabric / Fiber
    • Markers / Pen and Ink
    • Mixed Media
    • Oil Pastel
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Tempera
    • Watercolor
  • Lessons by Style
    • Abstract (Non-representational)
    • Abstract (Representational)
    • Cartoon
    • Cubism
    • Expressionism
    • Fantasy
    • Impressionism
    • Op Art
    • Orphism
    • Pointillism
    • Pop Art
    • Post Impressionism
    • Realism
    • Surrealism
  • Lessons by Subject
    • Abstract Design
    • Animals
    • Birds
    • Buildings
    • Butterflies
    • Cityscape
    • Color / Color Mixing
    • Creatures / Monsters
    • Cross
    • Faith
    • Elements of Art
    • Fish / Marine Life
    • Flowers
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hearts
    • Imagination
    • Landscape
    • Mandalas
    • Masks
    • Math with Art
    • Misc. Subjects
    • Names
    • Nature
    • Ocean / Seascapes
    • People
    • Portraits / Self-Portraits
    • Religion
    • Quilts
    • Scripture
    • Seasons
    • Sky
    • snow
    • Stars
    • Still Life
    • Trees
    • Words / Letters
  • … and More!
    • Bulletin Boards & Displays
    • Classroom Management
    • Elements of Art
    • Imagination
    • Inspiration
    • Middle School Art
    • News & Announcements
    • Philosophy
    • Portfolios
    • Product Reviews
    • Quotes & Stories
    • Supplies / Products
    • Teacher Workshops
    • Tips for Teaching Art

Follow me on
Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Teach Kids Art When you shop Amazon.com

TEACH KIDS ART IS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE. I earn a small commission when you visit Amazon.com by clicking through my site and make a purchase of any kind. This supports Teach Kids Art at no extra cost to you.

Click here to shop Amazon.com!

Related Posts

  • A Creative Color Game for All Ages
  • An Engaging Art Museum Activity for Kids
  • TIP #66: 10 Ways to Save Money on Art Supplies for Kids
  • Better Paint Brush Habits for Kids
  • Review the Elements of Art with a Beachball Scavenger Hunt

Copyright © 2023 Cheryl Trowbridge / Teach Kids Art · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Design by Laugh Eat Learn



We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT