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.

After students finished creating personalized designs that incorporated their names and birthdays, I wanted to extend the activity by linking their art-making to art history. To do this, I asked students to create a second design inspired by a well-known artist whose birthday they shared. I used the Davis Monthly Planner Art Education Advocacy Guide to help students select an artist. If students were unable to find an exact match, they were encouraged to select an artist on a day near their birthday. Students created a design that was somehow representative of their chosen artist’s work, and included the artist’s name and birthday.

After both designs were completed, students collaborated on displaying their artwork by month on the classroom walls. Several students were happily surprised when they found out that a classmate shared their birthday. The display of designs showcased how each student was valued individually and how they were also part of the collective classroom community. Each design was personalized, connected back to the students themselves, and provided insights into their interests and aesthetic decisions.

Having students make art inspired by something they all related to empowered them to express their individuality and creativity regardless of technical ability and prior experiences in art. Linking their birthdays to well-known artists engaged students in learning art history in an unexpected and meaningful way. Throughout this process, students learned about each other, and I got to know each of them better based on their individualized artistic interpretations and by learning their birthdays. Just as every student has a special day, so do the well-known artists throughout history, and everyone’s birthday deserves to be celebrated!

Keri Reynolds is District Art Lead and a National Board-Certified Teacher at Kerr High School in Houston, Texas. kereynol@ga.aliefisd.net

Birthday Twins: Connecting Personal Art-Making to Art History