Action Tips: Organize an Art Share

The same way people in a poetry club write and share poetry on certain issues, you can form a group to create and share visual art. Visual art is an excellent means of self-expression, and sharing art in a group can really promote trust and understanding. Let your art talk.

Form a group

Collect a bunch of people who are interested in making and sharing art. Advertise with creative, artistic posters around your school and community. You can target people who already know art is up their alley, but you should remember that some of the people who might benefit most from expressing themselves through art most, don't even know it. Reach out to all people.

Ground rules

When your group meets, mention how your meetings will run. Create an environment where people feel comfortable and trustworthy. You can make rules together (rules that say what to DO instead of what not to do). Think about rules like:

• Always be respectful
• Speak in "I" statements
• Don't speak when someone else is speaking
• Make sure any criticism you have is constructive

Even if some of the rules seem like common sense, getting them all out in the open makes it so that everyone is on the same page.

The Form

What kind of art will people want to make? Drawing? Collage? Photography? Decide if you want to all do the same thing at once, or have people experiment as they choose.

Topics

Between every meeting, every person's art piece should follow a theme. Start simple and broad, and get deeper as weeks go on. Try:

• What makes you happy?
• What is the best thing in your life?
• What's your biggest fear?
• What don't people in your community see?
• Can people live without judging each other?

Keep sharing

Once you and your group have been working together for awhile, see if you can share your work with a bigger group, like in an art show. Have everyone pick some of their favorite pieces and polish them. Maybe you can use the opportunity to raise awareness about a cause, or encourage more people to make and share art.