How To: Organize an Art Show to Support Your Cause

Get your community interested in your cause by coordinating an exhibit of visual art with your cause as the theme. It’s a great way to educate while having fun!

1. Recruit friends, family or teachers to help out. Ask your art teachers to dedicate a class period to letting students create art for the show.
2. Scout out a good spot for the art show. You can use your school gym, library or even the hallways. If you want it to be for your entire community, find a coffee shop or restaurant hall.
3. Organize meetings so your friends and classmates know exactly what your show is about and how they can get involved. Here, you can make flyers and create an event on Facebook.
4. Think of all the guidelines for your show. Do you want to open it to photographs, paintings or graphic art? Will there be certain rules about subject matter?Do you want guests to fill out a survey about their reactions to the art?
5. There are a few things you should definitely do the day of:
   • Have a few friends at the entrance to pass out info sheets on what the show is all about and who all the artists are.
   • Include facts about your cause, why it’s important and what people can do to get involved.
   • Serve beverages and snacks. Try to get these donated.
   • Encourage all the artists to attend and interact with those viewing their art. This is free publicity for them!
6. See if you can get people to pay a small admission to support your cause or help fund the next art show. You can also charge a small fee for light snacks and beverages. Another option: get the artists to donate their artwork so when people buy it, the money goes to support a cause.

Tell us how it went by posting your project here. GO