Student Art Part 5: Setting Up An Art Show

It's exhausting. It's exhilarating. But oh so rewarding.

This is my story of how we install the student art show, with a sprinkling of artwork and links to the lesson plans they were based upon.

Every Spring, our school gymnasium is transformed into a temporary Student Art Gallery.

3rd Grade. Lesson: About Face.

The days are long, but the thrill of viewing so much art is indescribable.

5th grade. Lesson: Chagall, Dreamlike Painting. 

The Gallery serves to display over 700 works of art created by students from lessons written and taught exclusively by parent volunteers during the year.

3rd Grade. Lesson: Wild Wires 

Set up begins with students selecting two pieces of their best work. This usually includes one 2-D (flat) and one 3-D (multi dimensional) piece of work.

1st Grade. Lesson: Van Gogh Sunflowers

The 2-D artwork is grouped by grade and subject.

The pieces are cohesively arranged and attached with removable blue sticky tac to long black vinyl banners.

The vinyl banners hang from thick wood curtain dowels purchased Home Depot.

A ball finial and black spray paint give the dowels a completed professional finish.

The dowels hang from clips and chains attached to various gym fixtures such as the basketball hoops and window hardware.

No holes are ever drilled into the walls of the gym during installation.

Installing the art show is the collaborative effort of many people.

Dad's help make tough decisions, and climb ladders.

Children entertain themselves on the floor.

In the center of the gym, hinged hollow core doors on rolling wheels provide additional display surfaces for 2-D art.

The doors are rolled away during the day when the gym is used for P.E. classes.

Wooden pedestals of various heights display 3-D objects and vases of flowers.

These pedestals were built by a skilled dad who volunteered his time and materials.

The hallways are transformed by the display of clay pieces in cabinets,

and Masks hung by finishing nails along wood strips.

Next to each group of art, a description is posted.

Every piece of art is clearly labeled with a title, student name, and grade.

A hand painted a banner welcomes visitors and directs them to the gallery.

Greeting cards are made with photographs of student work and sold at the entrance to the Gallery. Proceeds help offset the cost of art materials used throughout the year.

Here is the school Gymnasium before the show...


Here is the school gymnasium after the Art Gallery is set up....

The center rock circle encloses a display of student Sand Art – influenced by traditional Tibetan sand paintings.

After a long day, installation is complete. It feels great.

The Gallery is ready and will be opened to the public for 3 days.

To learn more about the Parent directed Art Program at Duniway, click on these links:

History of Art Program at Duniway

Choosing Student Art for a Poster

Announcing the Show

Designing the Poster

Do-it-Yourself, by Christine Claringbold