Collaborative Art Projects: Fostering Teamwork and Creativity

Collaborative Art Projects: Fostering Teamwork and Creativity

Part of being an art educator at any level is finding new ways to challenge your students while helping them develop as artists. One of the many ways this can be done is by assigning collaborative art projects, where students must work together to create a piece.

Why use creative group projects in your lesson planning? Collaborative art projects have numerous benefits, plus lots of practical techniques for assigning these projects and helping students get the most out of them.

The Benefits of Collaborative Art Projects

Whether you’re teaching at the elementary, middle, or high school level, students can benefit from participating in teamwork art projects in a number of ways.

Encouraging Teamwork and Communication

First, cooperative art projects empower students to put their teamwork and communication skills to work. Students need to be able to collaborate to determine roles and responsibilities while communicating expectations clearly with one another throughout the project. Students working on a creative art project together may need to rely on not just their verbal communication skills, but possibly their written communication skills as they establish project timelines and keep each other up-to-speed on progress.

Building Creative Confidence

Taking part in a collaborative art project can also be a great way for students to build their creativity and confidence as artists. As students are exposed to new ideas and ways of creating art among their peers, they may develop their own creativity and find new ways to express themselves. This, in turn, can boost confidence and self-esteem. When students participate in creative group projects where art is put on public display, this can give them even more of a confidence boost (more on this later).

Developing Problem-Solving Skills

Group projects at any age level come with some inherent challenges among students. One student may seem disinterested in the project and isn’t pulling their weight. Or there may be a student taking too much control over the project and not letting other students offer their own ideas and feedback.

Regardless, being part of a group project empowers students to work on their own problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills as they strive to work peacefully and productively with their peers. These are valuable skills that they can carry with them into other areas of their lives.

Collaborative Art Project Ideas for Different Age Groups

The types of group art projects you’ll want to assign your students will vary, depending on the grade level you teach. Elementary students will need more simplistic group assignments, whereas middle and high schoolers may be suited for more complex projects.

Collaborative Art for Elementary School

For elementary school students, age ranges can vary quite a bit, so choosing the right collaborative art project will come down to knowing your students and their capabilities. However, some ideas to consider for your elementary-age students may include:

  • Junk collage projects – Students cut out pictures from magazines and use other found objects to create an eye-catching collage together.
  • Collaborative doodling – Students are given a large sheet of paper (such as butcher paper or poster board) to create a drawing or painting together. Teachers can provide as little or as much guidance as they want.
  • Tape murals – Students use masking tape or painter’s tape to tape off sections of a canvas. The tape serves as an outline, and students paint around it. When the project is complete, students remove the tape to reveal a one-of-a-kind art piece.

Collaborative Art for Middle School

For children in middle school, some team-building art activities to consider include:

  • Collaborative murals – Students can work together to paint a mural somewhere in the school, giving them an opportunity to create a real public art display while putting their creativity and teamwork to the test.
  • String art – Students use pushpins on a corkboard or wall to outline a shape. Then, colorful strings are wrapped around the push pins to add definition and detail to each string art shape.
  • Paper crane mobiles – Each student creates their own paper crane using origami techniques. From there, the cranes are hung on strings and connected to create a mobile that can be displayed in the art classroom or elsewhere in the school.

Collaborative Art for High School

  • Self-portraits with a twist – Rather than drawing themselves, group members are instructed to draw other people from their groups.
  • Group weaving – Students put their weaving skills to the test by working on a group weaving project. Teachers can mount a large picture frame on a wall and let students take turns weaving to showcase their own creativity. When the frame is full, it can be displayed as an eye-catching piece in the classroom.
  • Paper quilts – Students or individual groups are each given a piece of poster board to decorate in a quilt style. At the end of the project, the poster boards are taped together to create a large “quilt” that can be showcased in a hallway in the school.

Techniques for Managing Group Art Projects

Excited to incorporate team-building art activities into your own future classroom? If so, there are a few techniques and best practices you’ll want to keep in mind to optimize the success of these projects.

Establishing Roles and Responsibilities

First, make sure that group members have clearly defined roles and expectations as early as possible. This means assigning who will be responsible for completing each part of the project and what their exact deliverables will be. Establishing this early on can help avoid misunderstandings and issues down the road.

Encouraging Open Communication

Check in with your groups on a regular basis to see how well they’re working together and communicating. Take time to discuss the importance of open communication among group members and emphasize that they should be in contact frequently to discuss their project’s progress.

Setting Project Milestones and Goals

Last but not least, talk to students about the importance of setting smaller milestones and goals for large group projects. Accomplishing small milestones is a great way to keep the momentum going while keeping the project on track.

Using Collaborative Art to Build Community

Teamwork art projects can be an excellent way for students to build community, especially when participating in community-based art projects that can spark conversation and inspire others.

Creating Art for Public Display

Community art projects give students the opportunity to create artwork that will be on display to the public, which can add a sense of authenticity and legitimacy to group projects. From murals and mosaics to large-scale art installations, having students create art that will be on public display can be an exciting experience for young creators. This process can also teach them more about adhering to specific guidelines and specifications that may be required as part of a public installation.

Partnering With Local Organizations

Another possibility to consider as a future art educator is partnering up with local organizations to take part in group projects with your students. You might find a local stop animation studio that will allow your students to come in and work on a project together. This can be a great way to expose your students to different artistic techniques and tools that they may not otherwise have access to in the classroom.

Tips for Successful Collaborative Art Projects

As you think about how you’ll use group art activities in your future classroom, here are a few more tips worth keeping in mind to keep things fun and engaging for your students while ensuring their agency in the process.

Allowing Creative Freedom

Perhaps above all else, students should be encouraged to experiment and showcase their own creative freedom. In a group project, it can be easy for individual creativity to be stifled, and that’s the last thing you want. Take time to check in with students in each group to ensure that everybody’s ideas and contributions are being valued.

Celebrating the Final Piece

Completion of a collaborative art project is a big deal and should be celebrated as such! Whether your students are working in small or large groups, it’s important that you set aside class time for each group to present their work. This is also a great opportunity for students to talk about the challenges they faced during the project, how they overcame them and their overall vision for the completed piece.

Ready to Learn More?

From encouraging teamwork and building creative confidence to helping students develop their problem-solving skills, there are many reasons to work group art activities into your lesson plans at any level. The key is being clear about roles and responsibilities, encouraging open communication among team members, and setting project milestones early on.

Looking for more ways to prepare for your career in the art classroom? If so, then it may be time to look into a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD). Here, we offer our art education program both on-campus and online to meet your needs, with coursework in art education methods, learning environments, and more. Contact us to learn more about our art education program or any of the other programs offered at RMCAD. If you’re ready to apply, you can get started with your online application for admission today.

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