Why do we display art on the school walls?
An art educator who works in an open studio setting encourages children’s choices and understands that showing the art is a part of the process. It is not a final assessed measured achievement! On the contrary, she tries to make it a part of the process that will inspire a continuation of what is displayed.
A school hall with a library and three personal art shows of three children. It changes every few weeks.
These are the essential aims for hanging children’s art:
- Displaying art is making the learning process visible. It is an organic part of the learning process. It is not an end to the process; instead, it is a phase of looking from afar, revisiting, and learning from it.
- Displaying art allows the child to see the artwork again in a group context. They might learn something and work on that idea or might have a new one that derives from it.
- It is not a competition but rather shows the variety of approaches, richness, and diversity.
- The frequent changing exhibitions as an educational “political” tool teaching the staff and parents about children’s art. It is a visual tool that mediates and answers the question: What do you do there in the studio with the children? What are they learning?
What do we hang?
In schools in Israel, I recommend hanging series of experimentations, subject matter that interests the children, a collection dealing with one material, etc.
Sharon Musafi asked the students: What can you do with one piece of paper with your hands alone?
The wall in the art class accumulated over time.
Efrat Tamir. An elementary school located near the beach.
Hanging should reflect the issue of children’s interests. All children who want to are represented, not only the talented.
Each presentation has a short mediating text that explains and demonstrates the learning process. It will relate to understanding and research of materials, independence, the social ability to cooperate, variety, and richness.
Noa Shay, the subject was: Lines.
Noa Shay; A blot of paint over a painting, 1st grade
Such exhibitions can be created and presented all over the school. Sometimes the children themselves want to create a collection and hang it as a part of their process.
Orit Soroka, Tools and marks
As you see in the video, the hanging process is rapid: any ten papers can be hung on a soft board within minutes. You need to create an imaginary baseline or triangle and pile the papers in the same intervals.
I believe that 99% of images in an art class should be the students. Texts, posters, signs – all should be reduced to the minimum. There is no need to write “Pens” on a pen box. It is seen, and it is enough. All this is noise pollution to the eyes.
Less is much more!
Upper image: Sharon Musaffi
I love reading your posts. I have always displayed artwork in our studio. Funny thing though, This year, i decided to remove all the posters/text because I felt the same way. Too much noise. I hung clipboard up on all the cabinets to display work. I have so much to learn.
Thank You, Clark!
I follow what you write in your TAB group and I was listening carefully to all you said in the talk you all had with educators. I feel that it is familiar and similar.