Organize an Art Show to support your cause

Show your community’s interest in your cause by coordinating an exhibit of visual art. You can choose to focus it on the specific theme of your cause. It’s a great way to educate while having fun!

Art Space

Scout out a good spot for an art show. In your school, you could use the gym, the library or even the hallways above the lockers. If it is for the entire community, think about using your library or other community used spaces like coffee shops or a café. You could hold an art opening on a night during the week (so parents and siblings can come) and then leave the artwork on display for a longer period of time.

Support

If you are having it in your school, get the support of your faculty and then go with them to the principal to get it all approved. Art teachers will probably be nice enough to dedicate a class period to getting students to create art for your show - just ask them! If your cause is environment or disaster response and relief, get your science teacher involved. If your cause is discrimination, approach your History teacher. The point is that no matter what your cause, chances are there’s a teacher who’ll be willing to help out.

You'll probably also want to recruit a few friends to help you spread and the word and set things up the day of the show.

Meetings

It might be good to announce a few after school meetings where you can tell friends and classmates exactly what your show is about and how they can get involved. You can also use this time to create art as well as flyers and posters to advertise your show.

Publicity

Advertise! Make flyers, email the event to list-serves, create an event on facebook, be creative and get the word out. Find an artist to help (it shouldn't be hard, it is an art show). Visit your local community center or local art centers to recruit artists.

What type of art show?

Think of all the guidelines for your show. Do you want to open it to any type of art-like photographs, paintings, graphic art, etc, or just one specific kind? Will there be certain rules about subject matter? Can anyone enter the show? Does all artwork need to be framed to be entered? These are all things you should think about.

The Show

Have a few friends at the entrance to the show to pass out info sheets on what the show is all about and who all the artists are. Include facts about your cause, why it’s important and what people can do to get involved.

If you'd like to, serve beverages and snacks. Encourage all the artists to attend and interact with those viewing their art.

Other things to think about:

• Is there enough space for sculptures or other free standing art?
• Should you make posters leading guests to the show?
• Do you want guests to fill out a survey for you about their reactions to the art?

• Do you want to have awards for audience favorite, most thought provoking or other creative categories

Ways to make it pay

See if you can get people to pay a small admission to support your cause or help fund the next art show. If you do charge admission, you may want to serve light beverages and snacks (get these donated by local businesses). You could also charge a small fee for these as well. Another option - get the artists to donate their artwork so that when people buy it the money goes to support a cause.

Thanks

After this event, you should send thank you notes to all your friends who helped you and all the artists who participated. Show them you appreciate everything they did. You could start an annual art show!

Don't forget...

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