Exhibition Preparation

Lesson Overview

This 90-minute lesson is the final session in the unit "Exploring Picasso's Acrylics" designed for Year 10 art students in Australia. Students will prepare their artworks for exhibition, focusing on the presentation and verbal articulation of their creative process, techniques, and thematic intentions. This lesson promotes student confidence, critical reflection, and communication skills aligned with the Australian Curriculum (v9) for the Arts.

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Prepare artworks professionally for exhibition.
• Understand and discuss the importance of artwork presentation.
• Present and explain your artwork, including techniques used and themes explored.

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Success Criteria

• Students organise and display their artworks thoughtfully for exhibition.
• Students orally present their artworks with clear references to art techniques and themes.
• Students engage actively in peer feedback sessions, demonstrating listening and evaluative skills.

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Curriculum Connections

Australian Curriculum (v9) Links:

• Visual Arts (Year 10)
• AC9AR5M10: Plan and produce artworks that demonstrate unity and stylistic coherence using acrylic painting techniques.
• AC9AR5C07: Discuss how artworks communicate ideas and respond to different social contexts.
• AC9AR5HC06: Analyse and interpret intention in artworks, explaining meaning and technique.
• General Capabilities: Literacy (speaking and listening), Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability.

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Resources Required

• Students' completed artwork on acrylic canvases or boards
• Cue cards with guided prompts for presentations (dyslexia-friendly fonts, bullet points)
• Exhibition labels or small cards for artwork titles and artist statements
• Classroom display space arranged for exhibition
• Timer or stopwatch for presentation time management
• Feedback forms (simple, clear design)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Welcome and Introduction (10 minutes)

• Briefly recap the unit focus on Picasso's acrylic techniques and themes.
• Explain the importance of how artworks are displayed and presented in exhibitions.
• Outline today's activities and success criteria.
• Provide students with cue cards featuring sentence starters and key vocabulary to assist with their presentations.

2. Exhibition Preparation Setup (20 minutes)

• Students physically set up their artworks in the designated display area.
• Teach principles of exhibition presentation: spacing, labeling, lighting, and viewing angle.
• Encourage peer collaboration and thoughtful arrangement, considering how their piece relates to others.
• Teacher circulates and guides group discussion, reminding about the unity and coherence themes.

3. Presentation Skills Workshop (10 minutes)

• Conduct a short interactive mini-lesson on effective presentation skills: voice projection, eye contact, pacing, and linking ideas clearly.
• Model a brief presentation using an example artwork.
• Remind students to use their cue cards, and suggest ways to manage nerves.

4. Student Presentations (40 minutes)

• Each student presents their artwork to the class (approx. 3 minutes per student).
• They explain the techniques used, themes explored, and how their work connects to Picasso’s acrylic style.
• Classmates listen attentively and write one positive comment for each presenter.
• Teacher uses a rubric with criteria aligned to the curriculum to provide formative feedback.

5. Reflection and Peer Feedback (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a class discussion on what was learned from the presentations.
• Encourage students to share how the exhibition preparation helped them see their artwork differently.
• Collect feedback forms and cue cards for review.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Provide cue cards with dyslexia-friendly fonts and bullet points, sentence starters, and vocabulary prompts.
• Extension: Encourage some students to research and share additional context about Picasso’s acrylic techniques and art history.
• Collaboration: Pair students for setup and presentation practice who can support each other.
• Presentation Anxiety: Allow the option to pre-record parts of the presentation or present to smaller groups.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options

• Printed cue cards use clear, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Comic Sans.
• Use high contrast between text and background (dark text on pale background).
• Break information into small, manageable chunks and use bullet points.
• Avoid overly complex sentence structures.

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Teacher Reflection

Consider which students engaged well and who might need more support in expressive skills. Reflect on ways to enhance the exhibition experience next time, potentially including parents or a wider school audience to build confidence in public presentation.

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This lesson integrates critical elements of the Australian Curriculum by developing students’ creative skills, art literacy, and personal capabilities in communication and self-expression. The emphasis on hands-on preparation, peer interaction, and reflection enriches the learning experience and culminates the “Exploring Picasso’s Acrylics” unit effectively.