Lewisville ISD Elementary Art Show, 2015

Every year, we put on a HUGE district-wide student art show, separated by levels. It is SO COOL.

There is a highly acclaimed, competitive High School Student Show, where students can win prizes and scholarships, a Middle School Show, and, since our district is so large, 2 Elementary shows. Middle and Elementary shows do not compete. 

These are held in a brand-spanking-new, sun-filled, beautiful local community gallery located in The MCL Grand Theater in Lewisville, TX. 

At the elementary level, we have 2 awesome Gallery Committees, who measure and make sure each art teacher is given a set spot. These spots rotate every year. The Committee creates name tag templates, invitation templates, and announcements for all of us to share with our school community. THEY ROCK. Everything flows so smoothly!

We are given 8 large foam boards on which to attach our work. Not the most elegant solution, but it does save the gallery walls. Over the years, we have become pros with tacking T-pins and yelling/stapling on uncooperative foam board. 

The Donald wall. Yes, we hang from floor to ceiling. It looks like an art room explosion. 

So happy we have great display areas for 3D work!

We hang the show after school Tuesday-Thursday, and have an Opening Reception Friday night. It is a special occasion and many of our kids come dressed up and have a special dinner. So sweet!

Normally we have hundreds of families show up for the Opening Reception, but a lovely thunderstorm kept many home last Friday evening. Luckily, the gallery is open Tuesday-Sat as well. Each show stays up for almost 2 weeks. 

Love this! 

All in all, I had about 80 children represent my school, from Kinder through 5th grade. Selecting the art is hard work, I tend to do it 3 weeks before the show. I usually pull about 100 pieces. I pre-cut Kraft paper the size of the foam board and go from there. Many times, I bring in other teachers to help select the finalists.

Planning placement at school. This takes HOURS, with the mounting and moving pieces around. 

Also, DOUBLE CHECK the names to ensure you have the right kid. 

Yes, I have given an invite to a kid and left their art out of the show, and it is an awful, terrible day. 

My husband gets to remind me every year...hahaha.

Yes, it does take planning to put on a show like this. You really do need to pull art all year. 

Yes, it is a lot of work to properly mount, label, make and hand out invites, hang announcements. 

Yes, we all tend to bring too much art and stress about how to hang it all.

But, as always, it all works out, and it is such a huge success!

Check out that smile, I mean, come on!

Two Art Shows in One Week: Part II- The Return of the District Show

A long time ago in a gallery far, far away....

Well, sixteen years ago, in North Texas...

....our local artist community, The Visual Art League of Lewisville, and our district's Art Teachers teamed up to hold the very first LISD Student Art Exhibitions. The idea was to showcase amazing student art in a public gallery to promote and advocate the importance of Art Ed in our schools.

The first year, one elementary teacher and one high school teacher participated. The gallery was a tiny storefront on the main street. And about maybe 10 people came to the gallery. But one of those visitors was from the local newspaper, which gave the event nice coverage.

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Fast forward to present day. Lewisville now has this jamming Grand Theater with a gorgeous art gallery, which they graciously allow us to use for 2 months.

The MCL Grand in Lewisville, Texas

The art gallery, with VAL member work. Isn't it a pretty space?

This art show has grown into a HUGE DEAL. The High School Show is juried with cash prizes. Check out last year's here: LISD HS Art.

There is an awesome Middle School and now 2 huge separate Elementary shows, as there are so many of us (33?)!

Yes. It is a lot of work. But so is putting on a choir or band concert, a musical, a dance recital. This is our big game. The big show.

We make sure there is a "professional" element by mounting and labeling consistently. This is an Art Show, so these should look like finished masterpieces.

The beautiful smiles and delighted comments from the kids, their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, etc. make this all worth it!

Preparing the art, mounting and labeling

Spacing. This is the part I mess up every single time. I ALWAYS bring too much... 

...but it works, I jam it all in!

Handy dandy box of hanging supplies: Clear push pins, t-pins and a stapler

My school's reserved space at the gallery. To preserve the walls, we hang on the mounted foam core. It is not elegant, but it does not damage the walls as much. Remember, there are MANY of us using this space for 2 months.

The lay-out. We all try to pre- plan this. Some teachers even take the foam core to school and mount there.

The wonderful note my principal gave each of our school's participants ^.^

Donald wall! The art is up!

Opening Night Reception, about to open the doors. This is when we walk around and take pictures of EVERYONE ELSE'S work. This is how we share our lessons and ideas. It is exciting and refreshing. 

Here are some snapshots of the elementary schools around me. I love that we are so different, some teach TAB, some teach DBAE, some teach "whatever-hot mess" (me) but the kid's work is original and beautiful.

Get ready for some awesome pictures and ideas, from drawing to sculpture, and everything in between:

Chihuly inspired water bottle flowers

love love love all the visitors!

us!

What i did. Takes you right back...here.

Ok, so it was at this point I starting talking to people, and if you know me at all, you know that I was distracted and talky so now the pictures are totally out of order and I am so sorry.

dig it!!!

What you can't see is the scarf on the right, woven on a table loom using a variety of weaves. Gorgeous. Wish I had taken a picture of it.

check out the crowd! 

Entire families come out for this- they make a night of it- and go to dinner or out for ice cream. Lots of pictures. Lots of smiles and hugs.  It is such a great night.

Seriously, how sweet is this???

This show is up at the gallery for 2 weeks, and then the other half of elementary will hang their show. 

This is a lot of work. But it is worth every second.