This year I began the school year with a whole-school collaborative artwork and it was so successful I plan to do it every year! Yes, bold statement, but from having all the same theme, objectives, materials and focus for all grade levels, it helps set a tone for the whole school year as well as makes the first week of school less stressful and overwhelming than it already is AND it provides a large display before you have student art ready for show.

With our whole school year theme this year being ‘Together as One’ I decided to use an idea that the Art on Ed had featured on their website (SHOUT OUT!). Based on the artwork by Vasily Kandinsky, each student creates a concentric circle painting that will become part of a larger piece. Like the circles in Kandinsky’s painting, each circle is like all of us; different, shapes, colors and sizes but all of us together make one school, one community showcasing our unique differences.

Kindergarten through Grade 2 used watercolour paints and Pre-K used tempra cakes of only the primary colors.

For the final display, Kindergarten through Grade 2 was displayed together and Pre-K was separate. Both works are mesmerizing and each has a different mood, feel and strength.  The kids were very excited to see them displayed in the school and they could no doubt stare for hours trying to find ‘their dot’. This collaborative artwork is also a great segway into Dot Day which is typically in mid-September or can be hung to help celebrate the day.

All in all, collaborative artworks to kick off the year are the way to go! Not only for the ‘wow factor’ but to help you from going a bit dotty at the start of the year and oh, boy, it is going be dotty for me, we, together as one come December!