24 fun ways to display student art

You work hard throughout the year to teach your students new media and new techniques, and the results are often stunning. Celebrating this work gives students a chance to shine and puts the spotlight on the important work you do. Read the fun ways these teachers have found to display student art to find some ideas for your own classes.  

1. During Youth Art Month, we display art at our local gallery with samples from other elementary schools. I have a sculpture made by my third-graders hanging from the ceiling in one of our entryways that lights up. We did a line project where all my students made a short decorated line segment that we assembled to make a continuous line going up the wall of the hallway all the way from one end of the school to another. At Christmas, we display art at the high school where our students go to perform their music programs. –Becky Sargent 

2. We showcase our art everywhere we can. We are fortunate in our city to have great support for our art programs. In March for Youth Art Month, we have a great opportunity to show off our creations at an event that is very popular in our city! I have work hanging in all of the halls of our school and in two local galleries! –Cindy Quesenberry 

3. We have a schoolwide contest (K–8) that is judged by eighth-grade leaders, who anonymously choose one piece of art per grade level to represent the school in our local newspaper, and we display (not just winners) for the public to view in the months of January to February. –Michelle Lindauer Weisman 

4. We rotate 36 pieces of artwork around the community on a monthly basis to local businesses who support our department. We have students and parents rotate the artwork year–round. We have a very supportive community! –John-Paul Butcher 

5. The library is one of my favorite places [to display student artwork]. –Marica Shannon 

6. Our local museum sponsors Kid Art Month. –Kim Murphy Wynne 

7. I have my K–5 students work with neon oil pastels every year to create a themed glow room. This year our theme is under the sea. I use black lights to make the art glow! Everyone loves it — the students, parents, and me! 100% engagement. –Noel Michalski 

8. In our main hall and commons area, I have large Command™ hooks up with thick thread running between them. I use small clothespins to hang the students’ artwork. Very easy to clip up and take down! I also have some display “ladders” that hang down the wall made with large paint stir sticks and thick thread, and I use bulldog clips to hang the artwork on the sticks! –Hannah Moerke 

9. My students are working on a PBL project turning a hallway into an underwater Great Lakes habitat! They study native and invasive species and then paint the species on the wall. Last year, we took the time to paint the hallway three different blues! They love working as a team and giving back to the school! –Kayleigh Graves 

10. I display my students’ work in the hallways, and I have one large project that I hang from the very high ceiling in the commons area. Before the pandemic, we also made work for the local hospital to hang in patients’ rooms. –Jen Schaeffer 

11. Last year I applied for — and won — a grant to have a Mini Art Gallery built for our remote elementary school. I have put miniature versions of one or two artworks from each grade level into our tiny display! I hope to involve the students more in creating tiny art while also helping them to “Think Big!” Because they live in a small, remote community, their imaginations help them to dream up big plans for themselves. –Leslie Grimes Banta 

12. I use the photo clip string lights to hang student work. It gets a special lit-up place on the wall. –Amy Lynn Keith 

13. We use room dividers to display artwork. We display student artwork in various art shows in our county and a neighboring county. Student artwork is also on display at our county office all throughout the year. –Kristy Nelson Sirmons 

14. We have a giant art festival at the end of the year and schools from my entire district participate! It’s awesome! –Suzanne Hobart 

15. During winter I have hung students’ snowflake creations from the ceiling tiles along the length of the school hallway! –Kate Hasenbank 

16. I work at a dual-language school that focuses on global education, diversity, and equity. We have a Celebration of Learning where I showcase my globally focused art projects. Each grade level focuses on a certain region of the world, and I hang the artwork that my students created based on those cultures and artists. I also have a Black Light Art Gallery, which is everyone’s favorite! This year our theme is “STEAM Lab.” This is a great way to invite families in and show off students’ artwork in a fun way! –@artwithmrsf 

17. I create an immersive student art show every May for my school. One year I had koi fish on bamboo skewers sticking out of the grass and between tulle which served as the water. Another year I had CD cases which showed each 5th graders’ perspective of our beautiful oak tree hanging from the oak tree with twine. This created a kinetic display of their artwork. –@rearranging22 

18. I absolutely LOVE showcasing my students’ work! I put up displays around our middle school, post their work on our website, hang their work in our yearly middle school art show, and post it on Instagram! Makes my heart️ SO happy!!!! –@mrs.wirthsartroom 

19. I have over 17,000 pins of students’ artworks on Pinterest in the virtual art gallery. –
    @ purplechickenartroom 

20. My district displays student artwork at City Hall every few years. It is a great way to get the community to see student work. –@lhs_studioart 

21. Our school uses ClassDojo for our parent communication. To share students’ successes, photos of the student and their artwork are sent throughout the year on their Class Story. Parents enjoy receiving these positive messages! –@albjuniorettesgfwcnc 

22. I use adjustable pants hangers hung on paper clip chains to display my students’ work on cinder block walls at my school! The best thing is that local stores donated the hangers, so it’s completely free. –@ambercheyenne77 

23. I display student ornaments on a tree at our local (world-class) botanical gardens! –@exeartists 

24. All of the Catholic schools in the area have a diocese show at a local university gallery every year. And my local FedEx hub just called and asked to showcase some of our art in their display case in their offices! And Artsonia, of course! –@holly.d.proctor 

How do you display student art?  

What unique ways have you found to showcase the amazing work your students are doing in the classroom? Share with us in the comments below!