Whether you have the task of creating a school fundraiser or just want to show off your students’ artistic abilities, a classroom art auction can shine the spotlight on your budding artists and bring in some much-needed funds. When planning your art auction, consider tasking students with a variety of creative responsibilities, producing work they can be proud of and excited to watch sell during the event.
Famous Faces
For your next classroom art auction, focus on fame and fortune in your city by having your students create portraits of your area’s most famous residents. For example, if your school is in Cleveland, students may complete portraits of actress Halle Berry, doctor and personality Mehmet Oz, author James Frey and football player Joe Campanella. Each student can complete a different famous resident or work on a series of portraits all on the same person, reflecting each child’s different art abilities and creativity. During the auction, you can read a little bit about the person’s ties to your city or post a small note about each person underneath the student's work.
Holiday Decorating
If your next classroom art auction coincides with or is just before a holiday, consider using the holiday theme as the subject for your students' art pieces. Create paintings, ceramics, knitted items and collages all with a holiday theme, such as orange and black for Halloween or red hearts for Valentine's Day. Students can produce a variety of artwork styles, and then auction their items for parents and friends to use as part of their holiday decorations. If the upcoming holiday is a gift-giving related one such as Hanukkah or Christmas, student artwork for the auction might focus on creations such as jewelry, packs of cards and ornaments.
Go Green
Combine making money for your classroom with teaching your students and their parents about treating the environment well with a green-themed art auction. Although makers test almost all children’s art supplies for toxic materials, there are some that are safer than others, according to Green Living. Make art auction creations with tempura paints, which Green Living states is safer because it uses less pigment; other options include water-based paints and clays. Green Living suggests removing art supplies such as paper mache, permanent markers and rubber cement from the art auction supply list. Parents and the parent-teacher-association might contribute funds to purchase environmentally-friendly and kid-safe supplies such as hemp sketch pads, bamboo easels, recycled newsprint, walnut oil paint and real milk paints, suggested by the Art Tools website.
