ADVOCACY

Leigh Drake

Students add color to their art advocacy aprons with paint markers.

Each year, one of my goals is to incorporate art advocacy into my curriculum to expose students to the world of art and its importance in and out of school. In our art classrooms, it’s critical for students to share their passion for the arts with others while they learn and develop as artists.

Last year, we created art advocacy aprons to give students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding why art is essential. Students could wear their aprons and use them to discuss the value of the arts with others.

Discussing Art Advocacy
I began this lesson with a short presentation on art advocacy and what it is. Students then reflected on two questions in their sketchbooks: What is art? Why do you believe art is important? We then engaged in a whole-class discussion about why we believe the arts are essential. Students got very enthusiastic during this discussion and were thoughtful in their responses.

Presenting the Challenge
I told students they would each create a design to promote art advocacy within our school community. I asked them to do some research and find statistics, facts, and quotes to support their stance for advocacy of the arts in our schools. Students would incorporate elements and symbolism from this research into their designs.

It’s critical for students to share their passion for the arts with others while they learn and develop as artists.

I explained to students that they would recreate their final designs on an alternative surface—an apron. This prompted a discussion about alternative surfaces, the challenges they bring, and some of the advantages.

Procedures
Students began by reviewing their research, then created thumbnail sketches of their ideas and planned out their compositions. After finishing their sketches, students engaged in a critique of their designs before moving on to their final piece.

Students each received an apron and began the process of replicating their designs onto the front of it, guided by their sketches. They started with pencil and went over their lines in permanent marker, focusing on details, symbolism, and composition. Once students had their designs drawn out, they used permanent markers, paint markers, and acrylic paint with fabric medium to add color. At this point, students shared their designs with their peers to receive feedback before finalizing.

Conclusion
Students were excited to create designs about advocacy and transfer them to an alternative surface. It was even more enjoyable to see students wearing their aprons and holding conversations with other students outside the art classroom about promoting art advocacy. It all starts with a conversation, and I believe these designs were really powerful in helping students connect with the importance of the arts for both themselves and our community.

Leigh Drake is the visual fine arts instructional specialist for Virginia Beach City Public Schools and a contributing editor for SchoolArts. leigh.drake@vbschools.com