A little special attention and praise can go a long way to build self esteem and confidence in a child.  Showcasing a student’s artwork is a great way to call attention to their hard work and creative thought on a project.   In the Mendon Upton Regional School District in Massachusetts, artwork from twenty students from Henry Clough Elementary and Miscoe Hill School has been selected to be included in the Massachusetts Art Education Association Elementary and Middle School Art Exhibit later this month in Boston.  Art teachers Alice Gentili and Alexis Kornblum have featured the art of the students on their blogs.

Finding ways to showcase student art doesn’t have to be a challenge.  For these twenty students, it was being selected for the art show.  Other ways to showcase the work of your students is to have a featured piece of artwork each week or you could try an art fundraiser.  Our art fundraiser creates a custom brochure for each student that professionally features their artwork and displays it on select products.  Families then have the opportunity to purchase keepsakes made with their student’s artwork that they can keep forever. 

Art shows, featured pieces, art fundraisers and countless other methods of showcasing the work of students all play a major part in art education and the development of our children.  We’d love to hear what you do to recognize you students.  Post your ideas on our Facebook page! 

We do what we do (art fundraising), to support art education programs in schools.  Sometimes we are in a position to support other causes as a result of our programs.  One of our most popular products, the Grocery Tote, has been supporting breast cancer research for the past 2 years.  To date, we have donated over $13,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  We are able to make such amazing donations every semester as a result of the sales of the bag.  For every bag that is purchased, we donate one dollar to the charity.  This past fall we donated $3,800 to breast cancer research!  We are excited by the success of the Grocery Tote and that we are able to support such an important cause.  We look forward to our next donation this summer. 

From cookies to candy, wrapping paper to catalogs, the number of fundraising options for your school are endless.  Art fundraisers bring a unique program to your school that also promote art advocacy your  parents.   But whether you are considering an art fundraiser or not, it’s important to evaluate the companies you are considering from all aspects; product quality, company reliability, customer support, and program ease.  The Association of Fundraising Distributers and Suppliers has created a Fundraising Report Card.  This is a great tool to compare companies side by side to make sure they can provide your with the all the keys to have a successful program.  Click to check out the Fundraising Report Card!

The lack of an art program at a school doesn’t mean the end of art for students!  If school administrators and staff develop curriculum that infuses art into various subjects, students still have the opportunity to think creatively and express themselves. 

Champion Creatively Alive Children, formed by Crayola, The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), The National Art Education Association (NAEA), and other groups.  The focus of this group is to provide school principals and teachers with ways to infuse art into various areas of elementary education. 

In 2011 the group awarded grants valued at $3,000 to 20 NAESP members to enable them to implement art education projects that fit into other subjects such as language arts, and math.   An article about the projects a few of the grant winners implemented was published on the NAESP website.  Schools featured in the articles used art projects to improve writing skills, enhance science and history lessons, and explore nature! 

This video really gets you thinking about the evolution of education in our country.  There are many interesting points raised including how art education programs “have been the victims” of increased emphasis on standardized tests. 

In this video, Sir Ken Robinson defines creativity as “the process of having original ideas that have value.” Any art advocate would agree that art education programs give a child the opportunity to think creatively and to express themselves.  These skills are imperative for our children to develop into successful adults.  We must save art education!