A birthday-themed art project connects student identity with art history through shared celebrations with artists.

Keri Reynolds

I wanted to develop an art-making activity that would help me get to know students based on something that everyone had in common. I decided to focus on birthdays, because everyone has one; students typically enjoy celebrating their special day, and no one would be left out. I asked students to create a design in color that included their name and birthday using materials that were easily accessible and already available in the classroom, including pencils, colored pencils, and markers. I asked them to fill the compositional space, while leaving the remaining parameters open to encourage personal expression and to gain insight into their interests and art-making preferences.

Rama Hughes is an art teacher at the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, founder of the Art School of the Future, and a contributing editor for SchoolArts. rama@ramahughes.com; artschoolofthefuture.com
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