I believe that one of the most valuable contributions our Fine Arts Department can make to the overall school atmosphere and culture is realized through exhibition of student works in shared areas of the campus.
EXHIBITION of STUDENT WORKS
By bringing my student’s works outside of the classroom, opportunity is created for their achievements in the arts to not only be recognized outside of our art room walls, but also by peers, teachers and members of the MUIDS community who wouldn’t normally have a chance to view the results of their hard work.
AP Art students were invited to develop a plan for exhibiting their work that, through its design, furthered the line of inquiry explored through their portfolios. They were asked to firstly identify, plan and sketch how the main ideas explored in their Sustained Investigation Inquiry could be visualized through their exhibition. Students then worked to select which works they wished to exhibit and physically create the exhibition design.
This year, I worked on tapping into the potential of exhibiting student works as an opportunity to not only challenge my students to consider the process of exhibiting their work as an opportunity to further their own creative process, but also to invite and welcome members of our community who we typically don’t see in person but are very much involved in our students’ success (their parents) to join in celebrating their achievements.
Students also worked to create a website complementing the exhibition. Easily accessible via QR codes posted around the exhibition as well as by those unable to attend the exhibition in person, the website introduces each student’s works through images and Artist Statement videos.
The exhibition was visited by many members of our community including the students peers, teachers and the parent community and we all enjoyed the opportunity to view and celebrate the students’ art together.
