Art Volunteers in the Classroom

1. Art Volunteers in the Classroom Flossmoor School District 161 Heather Hill, Flossmoor Flossmoor Hills, Flossmoor Serena Hills, Chicago Heights Western Avenue, Flossmoor

2. Overview • Do you have a program? • Setting up a Program & Cataloging • How to add to your collection. • Collection Development & Organizing Volunteers • Making it fun • Presenting a Print & Facilitating Student Conversation • It’s easier at the top • Resources, Materials, & Maintaining the Collection

3. Setting up a Program orTweak What You Have • General Philosophy • Depends on Formal Art Curriculum/Instruction or Not • Art Appreciation vrs a Volunteer Art Program • To Craft or not to Craft • Non-traditional Activities: pitchforks, mustaches, & shadows • How many presentation do you need or have time for • Multiple Schools in a District • Do you need to join forces? • Threaten by Administration • Haves and haves not • Funding • Equity • Each school has equal number of prints in their collection, collections “rotate” • Equal number of new prints are added to each “bin” • Art in Action: local professional artists show their creative process • Individuality (schools have freedom to serve their students’ interests) • Field Trips • Art in Action: Building Coordinator selects the artists

4. Cataloging • Periods & Categories • Five Periods • Period 1: 25,000 BC to 0 AD • Period 2: 0 AD to 1800 AD • Period 3: 1800 AD to 1900 AD • Period 4: 1900 AD to Present • Period 5: Other • Categories • Period 1: Prehistoric and Ancient • Period 2: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Dutch-Flemish Masters • Period 3: Neo-Classic, Post Impressionism, Realism, British School, Romanticism, 19th Century, American, American West • Period 4: 20th Century American, Surrealism, Fauvism, School of Paris, Poster Art, Asian, Cubism • Period 5: Photography, Architecture, ART21, 21st Century Artists

5. Collection Development • Collection Development or How to Select a Print • Connection with Student (Lincoln’s Birthday, Their Artists (ART21), Geography in the News (Persian/Iran), Golden Age of Illustration) • Speculate about what next in the student’s world • 1001 Paintings you must see before you die/ general editor by Stephen Farthing • Use the curriculum if you want, but there is value in an AVIC presentation given in late May • Politely take requests, but YOU make the final decision • Research before Purchasing • What Categories need to be beefed up • What supporting materials are available • Think about the presentation & activities, can you script a presentation in your head? Think about what a student might say…. • Pay attention to news items & keep a list of “potentials”

6. Organizing Volunteers • Building Coordinator Duties • Recruit volunteers and maintain the school’s “bin” • Volunteers • The more the merrier (apprentice the next generation of volunteers) • Solicit during high traffic moments Registration & Fee Payment Day (teacher assignment) Parent Night • A few good men (when a man is the Building Coordinator/ more men volunteer) • An Army of One: NHS Volunteers • Location of Bin depends on the School storage • Orientation Night (a 30 minute “training session”) • One night for all schools vs. A night at each school • Day session/Mid year session • Highly recommended for New Volunteers • Folder with the collection inventory & the handouts that are in your folder, an invitation to this event, field trip ideas, list of volunteers with whom they may be sharing the classroom • We introduce the “newest” prints and their coordinating folder • Model a Presentation (5 minutes) • Not during Monday Night Football

7. Before you Present a Print • Coordinating Efforts • Sign out Sheet: How do you keep track of the prints? • Multiple Volunteers for one classroom • Formal decisions or see what happens? • encourage the under-appreciated prints • Volunteers schedule time with the Teacher • If a volunteer has difficulty making contact with the teacher, perhaps write a note asking or if the teacher is new to the school/AVIC • What day and time is best for the teacher • Does the teacher prefer a craft or not • Does the teacher like the print to remain in the classroom • Sign the print out a week in advance • Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Because it’s not about YOU. • Who: give a little background about the artist’s childhood • What was happening in the world • When & Where (use the maps & chalkboard)

8. Presenting a Print or Facilitating Student Discussion • How to Ask a Question? • Open ended questions are the key to a discussion • Why did the Artist paint this particular piece? • Why do you like it or dislike it? • What in the painting makes you say that? • Sensitive Issues • It all comes down to sex and religion • Students get to shine! • If you’re talking more than the students, something is wrong • It’s not who you think! • Justifies why this program is so important • Parent “Notification” • Letter home (sample) • Invite parents to join in throughout the year • Search library for books related to the subject/artist for a literary component

9. Resources & Materials:maintaining your investment • Obtaining Prints • Today’s Host: Teacher’s Resource Center • Internet (www.allposters.com) • How to buy prints on a small budget • Art Books, Coffee Table Books from Used Book Sales • Dissect the Book for Prints • Calendars • Don’t let a small budget keep you from expanding the collection • Mounting Prints • Invest mounting on 1/8th inch press board, not laminating • Depreciation, Kids can “touch” the print, Carry it Around the Room, Leave it in the Room • Partner with local Business for mounting • Reference material in a folder • After every presentation, volunteers should leave their notes/ideas or a picture of the craft (supply list) in the folder to inspire the next presenter • Label the back of the Print • (school information, Title, Artist, Period, Category) • a paragraph about the print • Add new prints to the Inventory List

10. Maintaining the Collection • Rotate “bins” if you have multiple schools • students will view a new set of prints • Custodial staff moves the bins in August • Attach handouts, inventories to district website • Become a line item on the PTO’s budget • budget $50-75 per print (or not!) • s.d.161 AVIC is 25 years old • part of the district’s history • Veteran Stories