Middle School Arts Madness

In the midst of March Madness, Middle School Art Teacher Owen Curtsinger wanted to spark students’ interest in art history while introducing them to a wide range of artists. To accomplish this, he invited all Middle School art students to participate in Arts Madness, a bracket-style activity created by Chicago-based arts educator Kyle Wood.

Curtsinger tapped into the Arts Madness resources and brought the program to FWCD. Wood provides a downloadable bracket for teachers to use in their classrooms, making it easy to adapt the activity across different schools. 

At the beginning of March, each of Curtsinger’s class periods had the opportunity to vote between two artists and decide who would move on in the bracket. Before making their decisions, Curtsinger and Valorie Flaherty, Middle School Art Teacher, would share a brief lesson on the two artists, so they had background information before voting. The 5-10 minute lessons included a short background on each artist, some covering the type of art they make or design.

In the first three rounds, the artists were chosen by the class period. Starting with the Elite Eight, Curtsinger created a Google Form for all Middle School students and teachers to vote on the matchups. Now it’s down to the Final Four, and the champion will be announced on Monday, March 30. From 64 artists down to two, who will win between — and —?

Curtsinger’s students are invested in learning more about the artists. Each class period regularly asks him when they will talk about Arts Madness next and learn more about art history and artists. “Any opportunity to get students (and teachers) talking about art and art history outside of the classroom is a win for me as an art teacher,” said Curtsinger. “It’s been great fun to hear kids and teachers discuss their matchup predictions with the energy and enthusiasm of an upcoming basketball game.”

After hearing feedback from the students and teachers who participated, Curtsinger plans to continue Arts Madness next year.