I am happy to announce that I will be presenting on a project that I founded in 2014 called the 365 Artists 365 Days Project. This project is a collaborative project between the Frank Juarez Gallery and Zina Mussman and Rachel Quirk of Greymatter Gallery. What started as a one-year project grew into a two-year project ending in 2015. Since then we were unsure what direction this project would take us. I knew that this project has potential and was fortunate to present on this project at the National Art Education Association 2015 Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana and the 2015 Wisconsin Art Education Association Fall Conference in Appleton, Wisconsin. Most recently, I will be co-presenting with Elyse Lucas, Appleton art educator at the upcoming 2016 WAEA Fall Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin as well as the 2017 NAEA Convention in New York in March. Elyse attended my past session on this project and have used the artists’ database from this project with her high school art students. Below is a description of our presentation. 

This session shares a story of how a Wisconsin art teacher created a very unique art lesson by implementing the 365 Artists 365 Days Project into her curriculum. The DIY Gallery: A Deeper Look into the 365 Artists 365 Days Project inspired her high school art students to research, collaborate, and to design their own mock up art galleries. Their journey led them to organize and curate a real exhibition in North East Wisconsin with artists from this project. This presentation will discuss how the idea of creating a DIY Gallery started, how it brought two arts professional into the conversation, importance of educating students on the logistics of putting together a successful exhibition, how to work with artists, and to network with local businesses/gallery owners to determine a possible venue for a student led art exhibition. The 365 Artists 365 Days Project highlights contemporary artists from across the globe through an online interview platform. Since its inception in 2014, it has introduced artist on a daily basis via online and social media. To date, it has featured over 700+ artists working in various media, processes, and studio practices. The session will be set up as a two­-person presentation; the Wisconsin art teacher and the founder of the 365 Artists 365 Days Project. A PowerPoint will be shared with the audience containing student testimonials, video, examples of students’ promotional designs, and Q & A. In addition to the project’s website, excerpts from Edward Winkleman’s How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery will be implemented into the student led DIY Gallery lesson plan.