All Signs Point to Art

Yield: Great Art Does Not Stop, student sign. 

Leah Krueger

When we are traveling down a road, it is the signs that guide us. We read posted speed limits, mile markers, and exit signs and respond accordingly. We look for fuel locations and rest stops, and we figure out how far it is to our destination. We know what a red octagon means even before we get close enough to see the word “STOP.” Even young children are aware of what road signs mean and how important they are.

The Art Advocacy Sign Challenge
I challenged students to take the idea of road signs and redesign them to express messages about art. How do we communicate with one another? How do we relay a message? How can we design signs that encourage viewers to consider the value of art? We had big conversations about these questions, and students sketched out ideas for their signs in their sketchbooks.

Discussing the Elements of Art
We reviewed students’ sketches and discussed how the elements of art are used in signs to effectively communicate a message. I talked about how the shape of a sign will automatically make the viewer feel a certain way, and how students can use that to create their own unique messages. What would a triangle convey? How about a rectangle? What nontraditional shapes could be used?

Signs Worth Stopping For
Using mixed-media paper, poster board, cardboard, markers, tape, and glue, students turned their ideas into signs worth stopping for.

I challenged students to take the idea of road signs and redesign them to express messages about art.

Students provided feedback to one another and considered the following: Is the sign readable from a distance? What color schemes work best to grab a viewer’s attention? Is the design large enough? Students made necessary adjustments to create well-crafted and effective signs.

As an added challenge, students were required to make their signs freestanding so they could be displayed in various locations around the school.

Yue-Lin C., grade five.

Signs on Display
This project was completed as part of our activities for Youth Art Month in March. Students wrote statements about their signs that explained how their designs symbolize the power and significance of art.

After writing their statements, students excitedly carried their signs throughout the school, seeking appropriate locations to host their messages. I asked permission from the principal before we began this activity.

Reflection
Teachers, faculty members, and students stopped, read, and responded to art advocacy signs in the library, hallways, classrooms, and even the main office. The responses were overwhelmingly positive, and the signs helped to create an engaging atmosphere in the school building for Youth Art Month.

I also shared images of the signs on social media and invited our community to consider how we perceive the importance of art. Everyone who saw the signs arrived at the same conclusion: Art is important!

Leah Krueger is an art teacher at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. leahkrueger@gmail.com