Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.

Lesson Plans


Re: Down with graffitti

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
MALOSHD
Sun, 18 Oct 1998 13:25:54 EDT

I would suggest you get the kids more involved with the displays, so that they
can protect it and use peer pressure to instill respect for one another's art
work. Offer extra credit or some other incentive (food has always worked for
me in the past) for volunteer gallery directors and curators to put up and
watch the work. Sometimes this gives the kids who are too "cool" an excuse to
do something they would really like to do, but are afraid people will poke fun
of them. They can tell the others, "Hey, I'm getting free food for this, why
not?!" Sometimes I even specifically ask the tougher or more influential kids
to do this job.

I started a mini-art gallery at a school that had severe gang and graffitti
problems a number of years ago. Many teachers told me not to do this, that the
kids would destroy it. As a result of this attitude, almost nothing ever went
up around the school before I was there. I did it anyway, but I did it with
the children. I made it their space. I had them come up with a name for the
gallery. I had student volunteers put up the art work. I asked all the
students tell anyone who wasn't in art class about it.
Soon students were bringing other student over to the display to show them
what they were doing in art. This display became an only source of pride and
sucess at this school for many children.

Dont get rid of the display, whatever you do. Get the kids involved in it, and
I think you will see a difference.....................my two cents
worth......Dawn in Tucson