Someone asked me if I planned my art for the show. I asked what they meant. They continued “Well, do you choose specific artists and pieces knowing the show is at the end of the year?” I told her, “Not really. I just pay attention to what sparks joy in my Kinders and in me. I notice things we are interested in and want to experiment with, and I keep in mind what I think will work for us as artists. The Kinderes and their art just make the show amazing.”

After the show, a grateful parent commented, “This must have take hours to set up!” In reality it took me and an amazing alum mom more than two days to set up and hang the show. And prior to that, It took my girls nearly 9 months to create the art!

As I thought about those nine months and the set up hours, and looked at photos of the Kindergarten artists working on their creations, my mind returned to that original question. Do I plan my artwork — what I teach — knowing we will have the end of year celebration of Kindergarten art?

After some reflection, I’d like to change my answer. Yes, I do, but in a very organic holistic way. I plan the art with a vision of the artists and our celebration of them in mind.

I choose artists and art pieces, and teach them the way I do for two reasons — to encourage, empower and teach these young artists and to hang a show that illustrates their power, talent, and fantabulousness.

To encourage, empower and teach these young artists I choose artists and artwork that:

• allow my young artist to experience many different mediums and art modalities.
• help the Kinders know they are creative humans and amazing artists!
• present them challenges and teach them how capable they really are.
• encourage them to engage with artistic struggle and self-doubt with confidence and joy.
• hone their artistic sensibilities and decision making abilities.
• give them the opportunity to make artistic decisions, make mistakes, learn from their mistakes and make beautiful things!

To hang a show that illustrates their power, talent, and fantabulousness, I choose artists and artwork and hang the show in a way that:

• highlights the K-artists’ courage, joy, exuberance, and talent.
• tells the story of our artistic process and journey.
• illustrates ways our lives and learning are expressed through our art.
• demonstrates the ways we have used our art to learn, speak our truths, and make a difference in the world.
• is aesthetically pleasing and interesting.
• elevates my Kinders’ thinking, work, and art pieces to make clear the remarkable, courage, work and talent of these young artists.
• that brings me joy, and will hopefully make my young artists and their families feel awestruck by their work and the care taken to display it.

That was a really great question!