How to Do an Art Close Up for Your Program
An art close up is an important step to keeping art supplies organized and in good working condition for when you come back to your art program. Whether you are an art teacher doing an art close up for the summer or a summer camp doing an art close up for the year it is necessary to clean, organize and prepare supplies so they are ready for storage. Read my art close up below to learn how to close up your art room or art program for an extended period of time like the summer.
Art Close Up of Supplies and Cleaning
Temperature
When you are doing an art close up you want to think of the temperature of the room. If your art program is a summer camp the art supplies will be left in a building, probably with no heat-which could lead to liquids like paint and glue freezing and needing to be tossed the following summer when the program reopens. If you are a teacher at a school your art supplies will be exposed to heat and humidity - probably not having access to a cool, room-temperature with air conditioning.
If your supplies have the potential to freeze you need to relocate them to a place where they will be heated at room temperature. You will need to make sure all the lids for anything liquid are carefully sealed.
Supplies that should be moved:
Any liquid paint
Markers
Glazes
Glue
Glitter glue
Fabric paint
If your liquid art supplies are not going to be stored at room temperature make sure the lids are on and sealed to prevent them from drying out. Talk to your admin about moving art supplies to a cooler spot like the basement if they are going to be kept somewhere that will be overheated.
Mice-proofing
Even if you suspect you don’t have a mice problem they can come. And if it isn’t mice it could be some kind of insect. Make sure supplies are stored properly in a sealed plastic storage bin. We want to avoid a cardboard box because a mouse or insect can chew through that. Remember to cover any cracks or holes in your storage container or replace it with a new container. Mice and insects love to make their home in boxes of fabric or tissue paper so keep that in mind.
Water damage
It is best to store supplies in a plastic waterproof container. Store supplies, especially supplies that could be damaged by water like paper higher up. If you cannot store supplies on the floor and use shelves instead, then do that.
Organization
While you are doing an art close up, take this time to go through supplies and organize things. Group all of your same supplies together. Create labels and put items in a bin. You want to leave the room presentable. Pretend as if you are not returning to the program - you want the next person to be able to easily find everything that they need.
Declutter
Decluttering is related to organizing your art supplies. Once a year during your art close up it is good to go through anything and declutter what you no longer need. Here are some ideas for decluttering art supplies.
Decluttering Art Supplies:
Get rid of anything that is broken
markers/pens with missing lids
Items you haven’t used in years
Anything damaged or that doesn’t work
Inventory
Now that you have organized the art supplies and decluttered what you no longer need you will be able to make a list of supplies to reorder or purchase when your art program reopens. This way you will be prepared. If items are harder to order or take a long time you can order those supplies early. If you are hoping to purchase supplies that are more expensive and more of an investment then you can use this time to make a budget or apply to grants for funding to get the supplies you want.
I hope you have found these art close up tips helpful for your art program.
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