Art Fun Online

There are a host of sites online that offer fun, interactive content for kids (and adults!) to learn about art, artists, and art concepts. Or, maybe someone just needs a brain break! You won’t regret visiting any of these sites.

Art Supplies

Most districts lock you into specific vendors. These are usually the big four:

• Dick Blick
• Sax/School Specialty
• Nasco
• Triarco

Of course, you can recommend a new vendor to your school, but you will need evidence to help the CFO understand the savings. This will take time and effort on your part because you will need to create a spreadsheet that lists each vendor and the costs of the items for comparison. I think you will find from your analysis, though, that the savings even out. However, I would not want to discourage you from trying because comparing prices never hurts. You may find certain vendors offer better savings on specific items or category of items. Knowledge is a good thing.

Other vendors to consider are:

• Utrecht
• United Art & Education
• Jerry’s Artarama
• Mr. Art
• Cheap Joe’s

I have compared prices at Utrecht and United but never found them as competitive as the big four. The bottom three vendors are those I use when I purchase supplies for my own use such as an off-site class. I have never used them for school purchases (not an approved vendor).

Do you have vendors you recommend?

Magazines

SchoolArts is a national art education magazine committed to promoting excellence, advocacy, and professional support for educators in the visual arts. SchoolArts magazine provides lessons from early childhood through high school with each issue. There is also a convenient digital version available.

 

Since 1932, Arts & Activities magazine has been helping those involved in teaching art to youngsters (K–12) throughout the United States and abroad. Each issue is filled with art activities, creative ideas, information about materials and supplies, techniques and methods that encourage students to explore and experiment with visual art and crafts.

 

Organizations

The Art Educators of New Jersey (AENJ) serves the needs of NJ art educators through conferences and regional student exhibitions. Their annual conference is in October and gathers together art educators from the region to provide hands-on training, informational workshops, vendor demonstrations, and distributors of supplies and specialty services.

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) advances visual arts education to fulfill human potential and promote global understanding. Founded in 1947, The National Art Education Association is the leading professional membership organization exclusively for visual arts educators. Members include elementary, middle and high school visual arts educators, college and university professors, researchers and scholars, teaching artists, administrators and supervisors, and art museum educators, as well as more than 45,000 students who are members of the National Art Honor Society or are university students preparing to be art educators.

Americans for the Arts serves, advances, and leads the network of organizations and individuals who cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in America. Connecting the best ideas and leaders from the arts, communities, and business, together they work to ensure that every American has access to the transformative power of the arts.

Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a national coalition of more than 100 education, arts, business, cultural, government, and philanthropic organizations. AEP serves as the nation’s hub for individuals and organizations committed to making high-quality arts education accessible to all U.S. students, improving arts education practice, and researching how art influences and strengthens American education.