Patriots' Ball Student Art
The Patriots’ Ball is an exciting community event and the single most essential FUNdraiser of the year for Hamilton. It’s a time for Hamilton Parents, Teachers, Staff and Community to come out for a night of celebration, dancing, drinks, food, AND the thrilling silent and LIVE auctions.
A beloved Patriots’ Ball tradition is the opportunity to showcase some of the amazing talent of our students, highlighting our best in class Fine Arts Department. YOU can bid on and take home a piece of art created by a classroom, a grade or a talented student. Click here to see some past year’s Student Art!
Student Auction Art will be on display at Hamilton Elementary the week of Patriot's’ Ball for all the students to see. The Art Auction will begin in-person at the Patriots’ Ball Gala or on-line through the GiveSmart page.
Important Dates
JANUARY
Listen to or attend the Room Parent PB26 Student Art Kickoff call.
Sign up here to lead a student auction art project. Please let us know who will be leading your art project, their contact information, and confirmation of volunteer status by completing the columns in BLUE by Friday, January 23.
Please add your project ideas, materials you think you need so we can check if ArtLab has them, and confirm if you’ve signed up for ArtLab time or have made alternate arrangements with your teacher by completing the columns in PURPLE here by Friday, January 30.
The ArtLab will be open to all grades to create artwork for the student auction. Sessions are held during regular art periods and provide a full one-hour block. You may book one to three sessions between February 2-16. Scroll down to “Schedule an ArtLab Session” to reserve your time.
If these dates do not work for your class, parents are encouraged to coordinate directly with teachers to arrange an alternate time during or after school.
Please finalize the project plan, supply list, and budget.
FEBRUARY
Produce + Finalize Art piece
MARCH
Please add your project title, materials used, type of art/dimensions, and a short description of your project by completing the columns in GREEN here by Tuesday, March 3.
Reminder to take extra care when authoring your green columns. These will be printed on gallery labels and copied to the GiveSmart silent auction site. We will provide examples in the column header.
Student Art Deadline + Drop Off is to be completed on or before Tuesday, March 3. We will provide a couple of dedicated drop times on Monday/Tuesday if your art was not finalized and housed in the Art Lab or HAT closet.
The PB26 Student Art Gallery will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, offering students an exclusive preview of the artwork that will be featured at the Patriots’ Ball.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13TH- PATRIOTS’ BALL
BIDDING WAR! Get those bids in if you’d like to take home a fabulous one of a kind art piece
Schedule an ArtLab Session
Sign up for one, two, or three days of student art time, available February 2th-16th.
Parents are responsible for bringing all art-making supplies for their projects. In addition to providing the space, ArtLab will have basic materials available, including scissors, pencils, crayons, and markers for use during projects.
Parents are asked to clean up the space after projects are complete so the room is ready for the next class. Artwork may be stored in the ArtLab closet-please coordinate with Angela in advance regarding the amount of space needed.
Mondays
9:30am-10:30am: 4th Grade #201
10:30am-11:30am: 3rd Grade #103
Tuesdays
Wednesdays
9:30am-10:30am: 4th Grade #205
10:30am-11:30am: 2nd Grade #209
Thursdays
9:30am-10:30am: 5th Grade #203
10:30am-11:30am- 2nd Grade #210
Fridays
Guidelines for Student Auction Art
MATERIALS & DIMENSIONS
We welcome creative and unique artwork! Please ensure that any tools or equipment are used under adult supervision.
Materials can be found at Michaels, Blick, Hobby Lobby, Target, Amazon, and The Waste Shed, a fantastic discount art supply shop offering an incredible selection of recycled materials. Be sure to also consider upcycling items you already have; there’s so much creative potential in everyday recycled materials.
Artwork should be sized to fit in a car trunk and carried by one person. Larger pieces may be accepted but could be limited to online-only auction display.
Artwork pickup will take place at Hamilton Elementary the week following the Patriots’ Ball. Details will be provided to all auction winners.
ART CONCEPTS & EXAMPLES
Themes and concepts don't need to align with the Gala theme—any and all ideas are welcome!
Room Parents collaborate with their homerooms to select and carry out a unique art project for each classroom or grade. Alternatively, Room Parents can serve as coordinators and assign a volunteer to take the lead on the Student Art project. We’ll provide plenty of support and guidance for those who would like assistance. Click here to explore artwork from previous years!
When considering art concepts or any inspiration art, keep the following in mind:
Have fun developing your own process to achieve a final outcome which will ensure the art is unique and fun for students to create
Research and select a color palette that elevates the art while ensuring it’s pleasing to the eye- click here for some examples
Explore and expose students to materials they don’t use often at school or have never used before
To help keep costs down while allowing for lots of creativity, consider upcycling materials
SIGN UP
We do require all parents interested in participating in the student art to be Level 1 or Level 2 CPS Volunteer Approved. We will be checking these names with administration before your scheduled ArtLab time, just as we do for parties. For more information on how to become CPS Volunteer Approved, please click here.
DONATION
Traditionally student art is "donated" from the class for the auction. Therefore all materials and associated costs in producing the art are a donation towards the efforts of raising as much money as possible at Patriots' Ball. Angela will provide feedback on materials for your project that are available in ArtLab (e.g., acrylic paint) so that you do not need to source or purchase. If you need to acquire additional materials, we suggest an Amazon Wishlist or SignUp Genius to source materials from classroom parents. If possible, we recommend you shy away from cash collection…but if you must, please limit contributions to $5 per family max. If you feel you need a higher dollar amount, please reach out to Angela/Kristin/Sara to discuss before pushing the request to your classroom. Beyond the above, if you require additional support with materials, please contact hamiltonfundraise@gmail.com for help with sourcing items or potential (not guaranteed) reimbursement.
DEADLINE
The deadline for turning in all Auction Art is Tuesday, March 3rd 2026. This date is firm as we will need to photograph all art to ensure it’s available for the on-line auction. Please plan accordingly.
SUBMITTAL/DROP OFF
Whether you leave your classroom artwork in the ArtLab or bring it from home, please make sure it is securely wrapped or packaged. Art will need to be moved in cars to AND from the Gala venue and we need your help keeping it safe for the lucky winner. Additionally, artwork may be handled occasionally for photos, displays, and the event, so proper packaging helps ensure it stores and transports safely for the auction.
ART AUCTION CONTACT
Please contact organizers with any questions:
Angela Carpenter- acarpenter12@cps.edu
Kristin Tozzini- kristin.tozzini@oracle.com
Sarah Jacox- sljacox@gmail.com
SAVE THE DATE!
Click here to learn more about the Gala and to purchase your tickets. If you are interested in volunteering for the event at any capacity, click here for our Volunteer Form.
Thank you Student Art Auction Volunteers! This could not be a successful auction without all your hard work. Enjoy creating and spending time with the students.
Can you help?
Do you have an arts background or want to help with the student art gallery? Please contact Angela Carpenter.