Explore Female Artists with a Women’s History Month Art Project
I love celebrating female artists all year long, but March is a special time to dig into art created by women. If you ask family and friends to list well-known artists, you’d probably hear a lot of male names. Nothing wrong with that! But I think it’s important that students know anyone can be an artist - no matter their gender, culture, race, background, and so on. Which is why I wanted to share Women’s History Month art projects to help students see the wide variety of artists there are.
Why is it important to teach about women in art?
I touched on this a little already, but I think it’s important to talk about exactly why Women’s History Month art projects and introducing students to female artists is essential!
#1 Positive Role Model: Talking about successful female artists can inspire young girls (and boys!). Learning about an artist's struggles and successes can be powerful stories for students to learn from.
#2 Expanding the Canon: Let’s go back to when I asked what artists your family and friends might remember… I’m guessing Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci would come up. While these are great artists, they represent a very small part of art history. Showcasing female artists can give a more holistic view of art and art history.
#3 Challenge Gender Stereotypes: Who said women can’t be artists? Definitely not this art teacher! Help students see that creativity and artistic talent is not limited to one race or ethnicity.
#4 Supports Critical Thinking: By studying female artists, students can enhance their critical thinking skills and analyze art from various perspectives.
#5 Encourages Students: Whether a student wants to pursue a career in art or simply enjoys drawing, teaching a diverse range of artists shows students that anyone can dabble in art and explore their creativity.
Women’s History Month Art Projects
During the month of March, I always plan Women’s History Month art projects to introduce my students to female artists and new art techniques. I’ve taken many of my favorite activities and created a Women in Art Bundle, which can be used during March and all year long!
These Women’s History Month art projects are designed for grades K-8, which is perfect if you teach a wide range of grade levels. The bundle studies artists like Frida Kahlo, Laurel Burch, Bridget Riley, Sonia Delaunay, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Marianne North.
Let’s look at some of the projects inside the Women in Art Bundle.
Decomposing Fractions with Bridget Riley’s Art (I actually talk in-depth about decomposing fractions project in a blog post)
Cow Skull’s inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe
Concentric Applies inspired by Sonia Delaunay
Frida Kahlo’s Hummingbird with a Necklace art Game
There is a total of six activities, all of which can be completed with basic art supplies commonly found in elementary and middle school classrooms. Because these projects are made with K-8 in mind, they can easily be adapted and differentiated for your students!
One of my favorite ways to use these Women’s History Month art projects is to turn them into bulletin board displays. Decorate the halls of your school building and showcase student art work inspired by female artists!
I’m Amanda, and I align standards and integrate content to help teachers meet the needs of the Whole Child in art class! I have yet to find a standard that I couldn’t teach through art, and I want to share it all with you.
Not sure where to start with bringing art and content together? This freebie guide is packed with 25 ideas to align your art lessons with math and ELA standards. Your students will be crafting art and practicing algebraic thinking. Win-win!
I want all students to feel successful in the art room, so I created a standards-based Daffodil Collage lesson to do just that! The lesson includes an artist study, student reflection, and more, so push your artists to their full potential.
Follow along on my Instagram page for more tips on teaching the Whole Child in the art room!
Connecting art and content together doesn’t have to be mind-boggling. I’ve made it simple with 25 math and ELA art lesson starters - for free! Plus, I included 15 worksheets for students to reflect on their art-making journey.