How to create a Squicker Wall of Fame

No time to hold an art show?

We have a quick and easy way to display student artwork that is sure to pump up their self-esteem! What a great way to motivate families to participate in the elementary school art fundraiser!

Think about it!

How much do your students love their free gift of Square 1 Art Squickers?

(20 custom stickers of their very own artwork that they receive free upon their school participating in a Square 1 Art easy to run art fundraiser)

Plan ahead and create a Great Wall of Fame with each child's artwork.

Follow these three easy steps to creating a beautiful wall of art!

This idea was created by: West Bradford Elementary, Downingtown PA

Step One

Dress up your bulletin board.

Use butcher or kraft paper to create a dramatic back drop. Cut out shapes or letters to outline the stickers. This will keep the stickers in place upon applying.  Do you want your shapes or letters to appear 3-D? Use foam core board as a backing for the stickers.

Many stores in your neighborhood typically are willing to give away scraps.  When I was in art school I would go by the interior design shops and retrieve their old fabric samples to use in my art.

Step Two

Apply the Squickers.

Upon receipt of your custom catalogs and squickers that showcase the student's artwork, pull one sticker off of each sheet and apply them to the bulletin board.  Another fun idea is to involve the students in your creation.  Have them apply their own stickers.  They could also sign the back drop as they are choosing the perfect squicker location.

Step Three

Reveal the completed Squicker Wall of Fame

Hold a parent night and have the students present the wall. You could also showcase the wall during morning announcements or a pep-rally.

This is just another fun and easy way to showcase your pint sized Picasso's beautiful art masterpieces!

Do you have a picture of your Great Wall of Fame? Share it with us! #square1art or @square1art

Helping young Artists through their art-making anxiety

Here at Square 1 Art we do everything we can to make our fundraiser process more convenient for Art Teachers, Coordinators, and parents alike.

But what about when our actual Artists are having trouble?

Even something as exciting as our lesson plans can give your student performance issues. And some Artists are so free-spirited that the most awesome lesson plan can, to them, feel like cramping of their artistic style. Some stories from our customers have helped round out our perspectives on our processes.

While art in general should allow creative impulses to run free, Square 1 Art has our ‘Art Requirements’ in place due to the technology we use to turn those impulses into fun and memorable products.

We have been making artwork into keepsakes for thirteen years; we have a good idea of what works out best! Just like there are rules in the classroom or the art room, our guidelines are there to assist our Artists in achieving a final result they’ll be proud of. So it’s with reason that we have our requirements, and we hope your students will be able to work within them with this thought in mind.

Pride in your achievements is what we want to stress, so our Artists don’t stress! No one is grading or competing, but since our products and the artwork on them can last for a long time, it is important to be happy with your work. Some of the best advice I was able to pass along was, “Do something you'll be proud of. Artwork that you want to hang on the wall, point to, and say: that there is my artwork, I did it and I'm proud of it.”

My own mother is an art teacher, and she will tell you that following the rules is indeed important, but you’re the first person who needs to be proud of what you've done. We want to make sure that everyone involved with a Square 1 Art school fundraiser has the best experience possible.

Please let us know about your stories; we’ll be able to help each other out along the way!

Post by:

Julie Branch

Customer Care Representative

"J-u-l-i-e, Branch like a tree, that's me!" 

Donate your Square 1 Art funds to charity

One of our school partners in Maine, Eliot Elementary, donates the money they raise from the art fundraiser to a local charity. Last year the proceeds went to the Maine Animal Welfare Society.

Hope Elephants Charity


This year the money is going to a group called Hope Elephants. Located in Hope, Maine, where Eliot Elementary is located, they care for injured and retired circus elephants!

In case you were wondering what happens to circus elephants, and I know you were, you have your answer.
Post by:
Dan Goldhaber
Account Manager at Square 1 Art

Take a tour of Square 1 Art, easy to run school art fundraiser

Square 1 Art is an innovative school art fundraising company that sells custom and unique products that display children’s artwork.  We manufacture all of your products in our own facility.

Welcome to our Home

Take a photo tour of our facility and see where all the magic happens!

Friendly Reception

Beautiful Great Wall of Art

Customer Care and Account Management

Team is responsible for customer service and managing school accounts. Individuals are responsible for fulfilling customer concerns about product orders, and general questions about our fundraisers.

Happy Gram

Company-wide we have implemented many different programs to recognize hard work and achievement.  Our Happy Gram program allows employees (not just managers) to recognize their peers for a job well done.

Human Resources Center

Team is committed to equal opportunity employment and encourages applications from people of diverse backgrounds.

Information Technology

Team is responsible for the development, installation, and implementation of computer systems applications.

Art and Order Receiving

Team is responsible for accurately organizing children's art into folders and crates for handling by other departments. Inspect art for problems and correct illegible or non-conforming art. Other duties may include opening packages of art and order forms for customers and art care as needed.

Data Entry

Team is responsible for the data entry of customer and order data.

Print Production

Team is responsible for performing artwork capturing, image editing, printing, organizing of catalogs and product transfer materials.

Production and Match

Team is responsible for the manufacturing of custom products. Duties include paper trimming, heat press operation, product packing and quality control.  Along with pick/pack and quality control of catalogs and customer orders.

 Finance

Team is responsible for asset management along with printing fundraiser checks for our school partners.

Did you know?  Within the last 10 years, we have given millions back to our school partners to use towards their fundraising goals!

The school art fundraiser Square 1 Art is a huge hit!

The Square 1 Art school art fundraiser has been a big hit at our school (Jamestown Elementary)!

Products students are excited to use

Our students have absolutely loved having the opportunity to create art that they will see

reproduced professionally on products! Each student receives their own group of stickers with their art on it for free so that no matter what the student’s financial background, everyone gets a professional product that they are excited to use!

Parents love to continue the tradition

Parents have wanted to ensure that we will continue the program year after year to help them with gift ideas for family.

Extra cash for your art budget

Of course, we as art teachers, have been so excited to have extra cash for our ever-diminishing art budget. Square 1 art has been a Win-Win all around!

Successful Kid Art Lessons Plans

In choosing the projects that would be most successful for each grade level, we tried to choose iconic images that are easy for all students to draw, images that are easy for all ages to connect to, and subjects that could be individualized according to the student’s interest and talent.

Some examples of subjects were: self-portraits, hearts, fish, hands, suns, moons, etc. Every grade level had at least a couple of choices of subjects, with freedom growing with grade level. 

With our upper grades, we allowed them to bring in a sketch if they had an alternative subject idea. With all grades, we just emphasized the things that we teach daily: balance, warm/cool colors, emphasis, pattern, lines, drawing large and filling the page, overlapping, etc. We also placed many examples on the board to get their creative juices flowing!

Kids were so excited to get started, couldn't wait to receive their stickers, and had such enthusiasm while brainstorming who they wanted to purchase a gift for.

We look forward to repeating the school fundraiser next year!

Courtesy of guest blogger:

Denise Teitsma, Art Teacher, Jamestown Elementary

Jamestown Elementary Art Blog

Jamestown Elementary Art Lessons for the Square 1 Art Fundraiser

The next Picasso

Art is for people of all ages

Art comes in different color schemes, shapes, patterns, sizes, and is for people of all ages.   Art can be messy, sticky, wet or dry, but no matter what the outcome of the design, I can guarantee that all of the hard work that was put into the artwork made it a lot more fun.

My love of coloring

As a child, I can remember the love of coloring; I had lots and lots of coloring books, and no matter how many I already had, I always found ways of convincing my parents to buy more.  I remember how I would spend time coloring the pages in my books, whether it was a lion, a tiger or bear, oh my!  No, really, no matter what the character was in the page I was coloring, and whether or not a story was being told, I would spend hours coloring.  I would always try to stay within the lines and found interesting ways to accomplish that; I would outline the black lines around the picture in a dark color crayon and that would always serve as a barrier protector to avoid going over the lines.

Making art is thrilling

My most creative pieces would then make it to my bedroom walls, my parents’ bedroom wall, our refrigerator, or even proudly displayed at granny’s house.   How about sending some out as Christmas cards?  Yes, I did that too!  The feeling of my pieces going out with Christmas cards via mail in a sealed stamped envelope, I thought, was so thrilling!  

My special Mother's Day gift

Today, I am a proud mother of two, one girl; already in college and my little art monster boy, who’s seven.  My daughter also showed her love of art in many ways as a child, from coloring books, to sidewalk chalks to clay and now having developed enough skills to see a picture and draw characters freely without tracing them. This mother’s day, I received a text message with one of her drawings; it was a picture of Betty Boop, one of my favorite childhood characters, and it read, Happy Mother’s Day!  She didn't have time to purchase anything for me this year, but that picture meant the whole world to me.

Art is so interesting to my kids

My little monster is also very creative in his own ways; he loves to write books and even adds his own characters into his stories.   His teachers admire his writing skills at such a young age.  Both my kids have displayed so much interest in art, no matter what the color scheme, shape, pattern, or size, once again, it’s for people of all ages. 

Limit the use of electronics and increase active creative play

The majority of our kids spend so much of their free time, indoors, with little or no involvement in art.  Their pastime is spent either watching TV, on their computers, tablets, or playing video games.  It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that parents limit the use of electronics to one or two hours a day.   Too much screen time can be linked to, obesity, irregular sleep, behavioral problems, impaired academic performance, violence, and less time for play; less time for active creative play. 

The Mayo Clinic has an interesting article on how too much screen time affects our children.  It also has recommendations on how to limit screen time.  The article can be found at here.

Remember, less screen time and more active creative play

Whether it’s outdoor creativity, or indoor creativity, allow your children to demonstrate those skills that are hiding within those little brains and bodies.

You never know, inside those little bodies, there could be hiding; the next Picasso.  

I finish my story with a quote from the very own Picasso.

“Every child is an artist”

- Pablo Picasso

Post by guest blogger; Gladys Vilchez

Human Resources Coordinator at Square 1 Art

Creating Art: Why is it important for children?

An integral part of every child's human growth and development is fostering their creativity.

Creativity manifests itself in many different fashions.  Whether it's playing house, building a sand castle, solving a video game, or imagining what you will be when you grow up; the skills children develop when they are creative are second to none.

Make Art

The best and easiest way to encourage creativity is through art making.  The easiest way to incorporate art making into the school curriculum is through easy art fundraising.  Grab a box of markers or buy those glitter crayons and let your child go wild on paper.  There are no rules when it comes to art creation.  That is the greatest aspect of being an artist!  You are free from restrictions therefore risk-taking is uninhibited.  Risk-taking leads to thinking outside of the box and coming up with multiple solutions to a problem.  

Fun Fact

One of the six most important characteristics of a solid employee is problem-solving according to WASP (a company who provides efficiency for small businesses).  How interesting!

Another characteristic that Wasp mentions is communication.  When you find that a child is having a hard time communicating in a verbal manner sit him/her down, provide a blank piece of paper and crayons.  Ask open ended questions such as how are you feeling about (you fill in) or what happened when (you fill in).  Ask the child to draw about their responses. This will help them to make sense of how they're feeling and open up the mind to communicate in a more free manner.

More benefits to art creation

• Boosts Self-Esteem
• Promotes a Well-Rounded Personality
• Self-Expression
• Feeling Accomplished
• Increases Testing Scores
• Increases Family Involvement

If you want to read more about the importance of children creating art I encourage you to check out the National Art Education Association. They have an informative Visual Arts Education Flyer.  This would be a great document to use should you be advocating for an easy to run art fundraiser at your school.  Reference the Back to Square 1 fundraising blog.

Share with us

Are there any more benefits to art creation that you would like to share with us?
Give us your thoughts by leaving a comment.  We love to hear from our readers!

Guest Blogging
Are you a blogger? Do you love to write? Be a part of our team by letting us highlight you as a Guest Blogger on our new blog Back to Square 1!

What to write?  Anything related to art education, fundraising, art lessons, art advocacy etc.

Submit your article with resources to lisa@square1art.com to be featured!

Coordinate a school art fundraiser

Why should I run a school art fundraiser?
Money
Of course! Money is extremely important to schools, duh!
With all the budget cuts that educational organizations are facing these days the need for a fundraiser becomes more apparent.

Being a former art teacher, I had a colleague share with me that she only received $100 annually for her art budget. If you teach approximately 300 kids that only amounts to $.33 a kid! I almost fell out of my chair. How can any art teacher provide quality and intriguing art lesson plans on pennies a day?

That is where school art fundraising comes into play. Square 1 Art makes it easy to raise additional funds for your elementary or private school.  Create student excitement with our free sticker fundraiser where every child receives free stickers of their artwork.    Purchase high quality art supplies, kiln, paper cutter, or even take the students on a field trip to your local art museum.  This may be the only opportunity some children have to visit a museum.  Providing fun and interactive rewards to the students is key to the success of your art fundraiser.



I'm not an art teacher. 
What would I use the money for?

• Playground equipment
• Smart boards
• Computers
• School dances
• Parent involvement event
• School carnival
• Art night displaying the students artwork

No art in your school?

School art fundraising is also a great way to incorporate art into your educational curriculum.  Is your school able to provide the budget for an art teacher?  If the answer is no, we supply many easy to follow two day lesson plans on Pinterest  Teachers may teach these art lessons as a part of their daily activities   This gives the students a chance to be creative and think outside the box.  If the teachers have too much on their plate, as they usually do, California and Washington state use a service called the Art Docent Program.  Coordinating an art fundraiser is an easy way to pay for this program.

According to the Americans for the Arts, kids who are involved in the arts are:

 

4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.

3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools.

4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair.

3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance.

Art creation promotes problem solving skills, self-esteem, and thinking outside the box. Running an art fundraiser is a great way to incorporate art into the academic curriculum through interdisciplinary and multicultural studies.

Fun Fact

Did you know that schools and other non-profits raise $1.7 billion each year by selling popular consumer items.  Eight out of 10 Americans support these types of programs according to Wikipedia school fundraising.

What you would use the school art fundraiser monies for?

Let us know by leaving a comment

Guest Blogging

Are you a blogger? Do you love to write? Be a part of our team by letting us highlight you as a Guest Blogger on our new blog Back to Square 1!

What to write?  Anything related to art education, fundraising, art lessons, art advocacy etc.
Submit your article with resources to lisa@square1art.com to be featured!

Art lesson for kids

We will post a weekly art lesson to  keep your kids busy over the summer.  These unique art lessons for kids can be applied to your school art fundraiser or use them at home just for fun!

Weekly elementary art lesson 

KOI FISH

OBJECTIVE

Students will discuss and answer questions about culture and symbolism associated with Koi fish.  They will learn to draw a koi fish by emphasizing one or more of the elements of art.  They will attempt to fill the space of the art composition by identifying lines and shapes using a variety of media.

MATERIALS                     

Pencils, Markers (various colors), Tempera paint

PROCEDURES

Talk to students about koi fish and the history/symbolism in Japanese and Chinese culture. 

Discuss how we will be creating a composition where the viewer is looking down at the fish from a bird’s eye view rather than looking at the side of the fish. Demonstrate drawing a koi fish while giving students access to photos of koi fish (on smart board, projector or photos at table).

Emphasize shapes, lines and pattern. Depending on the class, teacher may want to walk the students through drawing one "practice" fish before students create their own or the teacher might need to go “step by step” with the students.  Draw a big wide “U” for the head of the Koi fish.

Add a curved center line for the body and one line going from each side of the “U” head to what will be the tail. Add two “paintbrush” tips for the tail and four curved side fins with a “jagged” line for the end of the fins.

Draw an “S” going down the center body line for the top fin (*students LOVE how realistic that looks!). Add optional parallel curved lines within the “S” to give the feeling of the fin “flopping” to one side.

Allow students to practice drawing Koi fish.

Give out final paper for Koi fish. Encourage the students to draw BIG and encourage creativity in the composition.

Once the drawings are finished on the final paper have the students trace over pencil lines with a marker.

Show photos of the variety of colors found in koi fish once again. Demonstrate creating patches of color with pastel. Remind students that often koi fish are mostly off-white with patches of color and that they may want to leave a bit of “white” on their koi fish.

Demonstrate painting the blue water background with liquid tempera, tempera cake or watercolor paint.  When finished, instruct students to sign their name on their art using the S1A signature template included in your tool box.  Also, make sure to legibly write all pertinent student contact information at the top header using blue or black ink.

ASSESSMENT

Students will discuss the final projects in a quick critique. Did the artist fill the composition?  Did the artist take the time and effort to make colors vibrant? 

Print Koi Fish Kids Art Lesson Plan

Lesson plan courtesy of Claire Dunaway Ford Elementary

WANT 20% OFF YOUR NEXT ORDER?

Email us an electronic version of your kids art lesson plan with artwork photos to  Lisa@square1art.com  Subject: Art Lesson Blog Contest

One art lesson will be chosen weekly to be highlighted on our art fundraising blog!

If you are the chosen you will receive 20% off your next Square 1 Art order.

Be the first to send yours in!  What are you waiting for?

Do's and Don'ts when it comes to fundraising

These helpful tips can be applied to your school art fundraising ideas!

Highlights

Don't solicit too much
During your school fundraiser, it's extremely important to communicate to parents and students regarding promotions and what the funds will be used for.  However, you don't want to be annoying. Families will pay much more attention to you if you communicate less often but with quality updates and important school information.

Keep parent and student information confidential

Heard of blind copy? Make sure you are only sharing contact information that can be found in the school directory with families that attend your school.  At Square 1 Art we make it a point to protect the student and family information that may appear online as part of the art fundraiser. 

Do as I do
Become a leader in your parent organization. Walk the walk and talk the talk. This will build your credibility with student's families and they will trust you with their fundraising monies.

Easy check out and payment options
Make donating/purchasing a no-brainer. Accept as many types of payments that your school and/or fundraising organization will allow. 

Write a handwritten note
There is nothing that stands out more, in this day and age, full of texts and emails than a note printed in your very own hand-writing. Go a little further and snail mail it to your volunteers or teacher helpers.

Courtesy of Money Quick Tips: Fundraising for a good cause at usatoday.com

Do you have any do's and don'ts that you follow when it comes to fundraising?  Leave me a comment below.  I would love to learn from you!

Engaging Kids over the Summer

Did you know?
All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer when they are out of school. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.
Read More...

(courtesy of the National Summer Learning Association)

Have you checked out our Hand-Print Art Board on Pinterest? It provides some fun summer activities for any age level.  Keep your kids engaged over the summer!