Walking Art Gallery

James and I were talking about how great all the artworks were that the kids had done and I was wondering what on earth to do with all the artworks. Do we put them up around the house? Do I put them into a folder? Do I make a memory book from this time and include photos of them in it? Do we take photos and put the artworks out? (Not really an option). We just had so many different artworks and I really wanted to do something special with them. As we were talking, we both kinda worked out that it would be fun to make up an Art Gallery, and then we decided that we'd make it a Walking Art Gallery in the street. With the real Art Galleries closed down at the moment, why not present some culture to the local community by putting out the kids' artworks,  which were inspired by famous artists, out on the street so people can enjoy them, embrace them and possibly learn some more artists?

The idea kinda came from when Mary popped over to have a look at the Jackson Pollock paintings when the kids were making them and also from teaching - when the kids did an artwork in class, you often hung it up in the classroom for everyone to enjoy and for parents to look at when they visited.

I lay out all the pictures upstairs (so glad that we have a big space where I can spread out things) and then worked out the order of things.

 

James and I brainstormed how were were going to put the artworks out the front. Some ideas were wire along from the street sign to a pole but we didn't have wire and were worried it would sink. We then thought we could put a few poles along with wire between and peg them on. Then the thought of hanging them up each morning was a bit too much so we scraped that idea, plus we still didn't have any wire. Then I remembered that we had some big pieces of paper from Dad (can't remember what from) and they worked perfectly to stick them to. So I stuck down each of the pictures on this paper so we could just hang them out each day. James went and got some clamps from Bunnings as well as some extra tomato stakes for the poles.

The paintings were put out so that you could follow the different artists and so it was still eye catching. James also came up with the idea that each artwork should have a label on their saying the name of the artwork (each artwork was named by the artist when they had completed it), who it was inspired by and the artist. I probably should have written the medium that was used to make it too but hey, it was fine.

With all the artworks laid out, we went down to the grass to set it all up. James put in the stakes and we then clipped on the big pieces of paper. 

Kids looking at their artworks

It was great as we started but then the wind started. 

It wasn't a big wind, but it was enough to make the paper move, the paintings start to come off (we only stuck them on with blutak) and the paper to start to rip. I was stressed. I had no clue what else we could do. It wasn't going to work though. James kept saying we just needed a still day but that wasn't going to happen. The wind was hardly there and it was breaking the Art Gallery. We needed a plan B. I of course wasn't thinking that way. I pulled it down in tears and went inside saying it was a silly idea anyway. The kids were a bit bummed that we had taken it down but could understand that it wasn't working. James kept a level head though and kept thinking about different ways we could solve it. We could put more stakes in to give more holding points, but the paper could still rip with a big gust of wind, so that was a no go. After a few different ideas being tossed around, I asked if a piece of ply wood would work behind the paper, that was stronger so might not be affected by the wind. James ran with that idea. We decided that he'd get some big sheets of ply from Bunnings as well as some extra clamps and stakes. James measured it out so that the stakes would fit a piece of ply between them. We decided that we'd just stick the pictures onto the ply and I'm so glad that we changed our mind with this because it looked so much neater without the paper folds!!

We then hung them up. As James was going to be going away for the next week and a bit, he didn't help hang them up (which even though I knew and totally understood his reasoning, it was really annoying having him stand there and watch me struggle with it!!). The kids helped me with it, holding the clamps, holding the boards, encouraging me. We worked out that if we used the kids' outdoor chairs, that would give a perfect height so that the board were off the ground. The clamps were a bit fiddly and a couple of the poles were slightly too far apart but as each day went on, I got more into a rhythm which was good. I made a sign for the gallery and also a sign for the end of the street so people would know to come and visit if they wanted to while out for their walks. It was very fun and the kids were very excited!

It was Sunday afternoon so we took it down once we were happy with how it all looked and was ready for the grand openning on Monday morning. Really, it was just there for anyone who wanted to walk past. With ISO happening lots of families and people have been out for a walk in the morning or afternoon, so we thought that people could make a detour down our street if they wanted to. We also posted it on our facebook pages, the church page and a couple of the local community pages too so that people would know about it.

Monday morning we got up and the kids came down to help me set up the gallery.

It was really cool having people come and see the Art Gallery. That afternoon one of the preschool teachers messaged James saying she was delighted to take a detour this morning during her walk to see the Art Gallery and wondered if it was by kids in the street or just our kids. It brightened up her day. People from church came to visit it and have a look. People from in our street came to see it and comment about it. There were many people who we didn't see come along to have a look. 

Some people that we didn't know looking at the art gallery.

The kids were so excited when someone came to have a look at their Art Gallery. They would shout out 'Someone is here for the Art Gallery!!' whether we knew them or not.

Mum and Dad came to have a look and the kids took great delight in telling them about the different artworks, their favourite ones, who they learnt about, etc. It was cool hearing them recall how they made the artworks, what they liked about them, etc. 

Alexander invited his preschool teachers to come to the Art Gallery. I love that they did come and visit it and chat with him about the artworks. It was also so lovely to see them again! I have missed my interactions with them!

photo for the teachers

Alison and Lorraine with Alexander

When school returned Daniel and Eliza also sent a message to their teachers, Mrs Mamo and Mrs Granville. It was so lovely that Mrs Mamo and Mrs Granville each took time out of their day to come and see it. I do love how they invest in the kids' lives even when they aren't face to face teaching! Mrs Granville even wrote about it in the school newsletter which was a bit of a surprised! Mrs Edwards, Daniel's teacher, also came to visit it one afternoon after school. She then posted about it on their class Seesaw page and some kids commented about it. So cool to see! The kids loved seeing their teachers! 

We weren't home when Mrs Mamo visited so she sent me a photo

Mrs Edwards taking a photo of the kids

The Seesaw post

The comments

Mrs Granville's post in the Newsletter

What I loved the most about it though was it gave people an excuse to come out, and it gave people an excuse to visit us. The kids would often be outside on their bikes and loved seeing their friends! They were quite good with remembering to social distance which I am really proud about them for. We saw Sophie and Eve from up the street, Matilda, Harry, Jack from the end of our street, Anne and the kids came around, Anna, Emma and Mikey came around for a play on the road, Auntie Jenny, Uncle Howie and Oscar came to visit, Nana and Poppy, Judy and David Henderson, Don and Sue Hoult, Eliza and Jessie and Todd, Carol, Auntie Sue and Grayma. The list could go on! It was just lovely to see people.

With Emma and Mikey

Telling Emma about some of the artworks

Foot tap hello with Oscar

Eliza with her favourite paintings

Alexander showing Anne and Flynnie the artworks

Auntie Sue and Grayma

And it was really lovely to meet new people and get to know more people in the street! 

A random family came to have a look while out for their walk

Robyn who lives next to Mary came to check it out, we met Annette who lives opposite Dennis and Carol and got to have a chat with her, Matil came down and I learnt that she is a Christian too, Beverly who lives opposite Marcus and Carmen came down to have a look, Angelina and Antonio who live further down the street came to visit with their daughter and grandkids, Xavier and Ava are kids who live next door to Dennis and Carol, they came down to say hi while we were setting it all up and to chat about the artworks and what they like doing their own art. Kathy and Adam who live in the cold-a-sac came down to have a look multiple times. Her son is into art so she took photos to show him, brought the family down on Mother's Day to have a look and even joined in by putting some of his artworks out the front of their place for the kids to look at.

It was just really cool that a bit of a fun idea brought so many people together! God uses these ideas in amazing ways!!

I loved that sometimes I'd look outside and see 2 neighbours to 2 lots of people from our community just standing on the lawn next to the artworks having a chat.

It was just great to see that the community embraced it!
Each night I'd bring the boards back inside and store them in the loungeroom.

It was an effort and it did loose a bit of motivation as time went by, but it was well worth it! After 3.5 weeks of doing the art gallery we decided to pack it up. I have no idea how many people came to see it over the time but I'm glad that people did, I'm glad that the kids were proud of their artwork (because I was proud of their work) and I'm glad that it seemed to bring people together and bring some happiness to the community during this crazy time :-)