High School Art Club Activities

The study of art can be an outlet and can provide quite a few significant benefits to high school students. Art can relieve stress, which can be a new and intense emotion for high schoolers. Once ensconced in an art club, students may need to brainstorm for new activities to stoke their creative fires.

Benefits of an Art Club

An art club is a place where students can practice the arts and hone their individual skills. From mixed medium to water color and traditional oil painting, high school students can find where their unique talents lie and explore new avenues of enrichment and expression.

A high school art club curriculum is diverse and beneficial on many levels for art students. Teens can collaborate with other artists in the school, further develop their techniques and learn new ones, expand their portfolio and more. Students are often required to work in groups and learn to work together through class projects for the school or community organizations.

The art community is often tight knit. Students can create life-long, important relationships with others who share a thirst for art.

Choosing Art Themes for Events

Planning art activities to coincide with or be a backdrop for school events can be overwhelming. Break down the parts of the event or what goes into the creation of the event to come up with ideas for the art club to complete.

First, consider the event.

Is it sports related? What themes have worked in the past for this sport on a national level?
Is it a significant annual event such as the homecoming dance or holiday festival?
How was it created? What is the history of the event?
What has happened recently at the school or in the surrounding community that the event could use as a celebratory theme?

Break down the ideas into manageable chunks and allow each student to bring his talent to the table and shine.

Service Activities for a High School Art Club

A common part of an active high school art club is service activities. Either with the school or as a part of the club’s local outreach, working with organizations and small businesses can expand students' professional portfolios, pad their college applications and prepare them for entering the adult world upon graduation.

Community organizations that can benefit from the work of an art club include:

Nursing Homes and Hospices – Students can showcase their art in the lobby, dining hall, great hall or other gathering area. They can ask residents to vote and offer categories.
Cafes or Casual Restaurants – Small businesses often need artwork for the walls of the business. This can give students needed exposure and even allow them to dip their toes in business. They can offer to put a price tag on the piece and negotiate with the business to make a profit or donation to charity if the piece sells.
Community Art Fairs – Organizing an art fair allows students to showcase their talents as well as their business and management acumen.

Fun Activities for an Art Club

The halls and entryways of a school tend to be drab and industrial in appearance. The art club provides splashes of color along the corridors and in the lunch room, gym, auditorium and other open spaces. The art club can create a bevy of pieces to brighten the walls as well as the students' day.

Activities for an art and craft club for school include:

Banners for upcoming sporting events
Flyers for tryouts for sports teams, drama productions and other extracurricular activities
Posters for book fairs or college fairs
Locker-decorating contests
Dance decorations