School Play

We are still in full swing at school.  School doesn't end until June 20th this year.  However, we do have the school play coming up next week. The students will be performing Suddenly Cinderella.  I have been working hard on the scenery, and today I finally finished it.

 I am looking forward to seeing the students perform next week!

Art Fundraisers- Advice Please

This post is for all the art teachers who have had experience with fundraisers.

 I have tried several fundraisers, but I have yet to commit to one company.  One year I did an art show through Artome.  This is a company that frames the students' artwork and sets up an artshow.  This made for a great event for the school, but all the artwork had to be done on 9x12 paper, which is smaller than I usually work.  My other complaint was, while the artwork looked beautiful on display, it made the art show all about making money instead of just appreciating the art on display.  Some students also felt bad if their parent couldn't afford to buy the frame.  

This year I tried something different.  I did Art to Remember.  This company takes student artwork and prints them on items such as mugs, shirt, and notebooks, which are sold to the parents upon ordering.  This was an easy fundraiser, but once again I had to work on a specific size paper, 8x10, which is a lot smaller than we usually work.  Also they did not want artwork made of chalk or pastels, which are my go to supplies for small artwork.  On the upside, we made a lot of money

I am considering changing my art fundraiser again next year.  I don't like planning lessons to fit a specific size paper, and I would like to be able to use artwork from the entire year.  I am considering using Artsonia.  This program allows you to take pictures of any project created throughout the school year, and post it on an online gallery. It even allows for sculptures! Then parents can view their student's portfolio and order products online. The downfall is that the responsibility of taking pictures and downloading on the website would fall entirely on me.  With 740 students, Will this be too difficult?  

Who out there has had experience with fundraisers?  Which ones did you like? and Which ones were too time consuming?  I would love to hear opinions.