Easy End of Year Art Project: Collaborative Banners

Are you looking for an easy end-of-year art project?  On the last days of school, I had some students that needed to finish up art projects and others that really just wanted to be done with the school year.  This was a fun and easy collaborative project that many students opted to participate in.

I got the idea from Romero Britto’s word artworks, like this one and I think I may have seem *something similar* somewhere at some time.. but I look at so many art ideas online that things start to mush together in my brain.  Have you done something like this at your school?

I picked out some inspirational words, such as “Learn”, “Create”, “Respect”, “Dream” and so forth. In the interest of time and consistency, I wrote the words myself on large banner paper (using block letters.) You could also have students write the words just as easily. Throughout the last week of school, I kept a couple of banners laid out on tables. When a student finished their last art project and needed something to do, I asked if they wanted to help on the banners.  First, they painted black paint on the letters.  Then, they used markers to fill it in with colorful, solid patterns.

Let me tell you why I loved this project.

1.  The kids quickly got introduced to another contemporary artist:  Romero Britto.

2.  It was relatively easy to set up.

3.  It’s an almost mindless, doodling, relaxing project for the end of the year when kids’ brains are fried.

4.  Students in all of my grades from Kindergarten on up could work on it.

5.  The best part is that at the beginning of next year I’m going to display the inspirational words all over the school on bulletin boards.  Easy-peasy bulletin boards for the beginning of the year!

The banners are all finished.  I will post pictures of my bulletin board displays next fall.

School is over for the year!

Although the school year is over, Art is Basic will not take a summer break!!!  Be on the look out for tons of new blog posts with LOTS OF ART INSPIRATION.

If you can’t get enough of Art is Basic, jump on over to my Facebook page where I post random art things that I find on the internet.

Or, are you looking for new art resources for your classroom for next year?  Pop in to my TPT shop for some excellent art printables which are ready to be printed for your classroom use!