The Collaboration Issue, May 2026

Published on 1 May 2026

Description:

Art teachers highlight the power of collaboration, from foundational concepts and classroom practice to mural-making and community events. Young learners respond to music with abstract compositions, elementary artists build community through large-scale projects, middle-schoolers develop confidence in a teamwork-driven choice-based studio, and high-school students and staff collaborate in a community steamroller printmaking event.

29 articles from this collection:

The Collaboration Issue | May 2026

Media Arts Essentials from Davis

The new Media Arts Essentials program bundles Davis’s media arts resources with resources on how to facilitate successful implementation. Get sixteen hours of professional development with a wealth of lessons and support for educators across grades K–12.

Editor's Letter | Collaboration

SchoolArts editor-in-chief Frank Juárez looks back on his favorite collaborative lessons and shares some of this issue’s offerings.

Amaco Brent

AMACO (American Art Clay Company, Inc.) continues to be a leader and innovator for ceramics in the areas of art, technology, and education.

Table of Contents

Blick Art Materials

As a leading art supply company, we provide artists, educators, students, and our associates with the tools, assistance, and training needed to grow, innovate, and reach their creative potential. BLICK Art Materials is family-owned and serving artists since 1911.

Managing the Art Room | Cultivating a Reflective Practice: A Process for Art Educators

Mikaela Bachmann presents a framework for fostering accessible, equitable learning through a cyclical process of reflection and action.

Early Childhood ClipCard | Gem Patterns

Young students use small objects to create patterned designs on rolled dough, strengthening cognition and fine motor skills.

Elementary ClipCard | String Line Drawings

Elementary students transform pre-glued yarn lines into complete drawings that fill the page.

Middle School ClipCard | Seasons in Bas Relief

Middle-school students create layered clay bas reliefs depicting the change of the seasons.

High School ClipCard | Plant-Based Dyes

High-school students investigate how everyday plant-based materials can produce natural dyes.

Mayco Colors

Mayco Colors has been helping art educators inspire creativity in the classroom since 1954. We provide high-quality ceramic products, along with ready-to-use lesson plans and educational resources designed specifically for the classroom.

Advocacy | Turning Data into Action in Arts Education

Dr. Lucy Chen shares how the Cathedral Arts Project uses data-driven initiatives to expand arts access and create vibrant school communities.

Professional Development from Davis

Davis provides learning that is relevant to contemporary approaches and issues. Presented on-demand, virtually, or in-person by master teachers who are experts in the most current classroom pedagogy and the practical, discipline-specific, targeted application of research-backed content. Learn from educators who are recognized leaders with a plethora of applicable classroom successes.

Museum Musings | Walking It Through: Collaboration and Planning

A gallery educator team uses a collaborative process to develop a writing tour for fourth-grade students.

Contemporary Art in Context | Rachel Gloria Adams

Multidisciplinary artist Rachel Gloria Adams shares her uninhibited approach to patterns and dynamic color combinations in paintings, prints, quilts, and more.

Bailey

Bailey ceramic supplies and pottery equipment.

Creative Collaborations Across the Campus

Elementary students join forces across grades to create large-scale art projects that inspire joy and community.

Steamroller Printmaking: Collaboration in Action

High-school students and staff work together in a community steamroller printmaking event, creating large-scale relief prints.

Skutt

The #1 kiln used in schools. Kids Need Clay helps schools start and sustain ceramics programs with full support.

The TAB Studio: Building Self-Esteem through Teamwork

Middle-school students team up with peers, experiment freely with materials, and create work that is personally meaningful.

Above All, Be Kind: A Symbolic, Collaborative Mural

Young students work together on a symbolic mural fostering creativity, connection, and a commitment to kindness.

Square 1 Art

Simple. Creative. Art Fundraiser. Celebrate your child‘s art on keepsakes and raise funds for your school!

Beyond the Frame: Pushing the Limits of Conventional Composition

Middle-school students create habitat-inspired artwork that extends beyond the frame, promoting innovation and visual storytelling.

Murals with Meaning: Empowering Students through Collaborative Art

High-school students collaborate annually to create impactful murals for a national contest, conveying powerful messages about conservation.

Intuitive by Design: Responding to Music through Abstraction

Young students respond to music through color and line, experimenting with pastels and mixed media.

Experience Art from Davis

Filled with opportunities to build critical thinking skills and choice, this brand-new middle school art curriculum for grades 7–8 is designed to help students express their ideas and feelings through meaningful art-making and see themselves as part of the learning process.