Art Contest

Art Memory Contest

Last Updated: 8/10/03

• NATURE OF THE CONTEST. The PSIA Art Memory Contest consists of two parts: Part 1: Contestants learn to recognize the artist and title of 40 pieces of art through the study of the current year’s Art Smart Bulletin. Every two years, 40 different pieces of art are included in the study. These are selections from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., which has provided thousands of Texas elementary school students with a glimpse of our artistic past for many years through the UIL art program. Artworks (pictures of paintings) for the the 2003-2005 seasons come not only from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., but also from seven museums throughout Texas. These include the El Paso Museum of Art; International Museum of Art and Science (McAllen); Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art (University of Texas at Austin); Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (Canyon); and Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation (Houston). Color pictures of the art works provide additional study for the contest. Part 1 of the contest will consist of recognition of 15 of the 40 paintings.

Part 2: Contestants learn about the artist and the art work through their study of the Art Smart Bulletin. Contestants take a 30-item multiple choice and true/false test over Art Elements and Art History information found in this bulletin about each painting.

Some of the art pictures may be viewed through the PSIA connection to National Gallery and other museums represented in our study.

• ENTRIES.     As many as THREE students from EACH GRADE LEVEL (grades 4 and 5) may be entered in the Art Memory District Contest from each school. Designated adults representing each school will select contestants to represent the campus at the District Meet based on their abilities and interest in Art, as well as other factors, which are decided upon by each school. Each grade level is judged separately in contest.

• WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CONTEST.     The contest director will announce the time and place that contestants and one adult should report for verification of the scoring of tests. Contestants are then given answer sheets for Part 1 and Part 2, on which they are to write their grade levels and their contestant ID numbers in the spaces provided. The contest director will tell contestants their ID numbers, usually during roll call. (Alternates taking the place of absent registered contestants should be sure to let the contest director know as they enter the room to save time in roll call.)
Part 1: The contest director will begin the contest by displaying a picture of one of the paintings from this year’s selections. As contestants view the picture, they should begin writing the name of the artist and the title of the artwork in the spaces provided on the answer sheet.
Part 2:   The contest director will distribute the 30-item objective test to each contestant. When the start signal is given, contestants will have 15 minutes to write their CAPITAL LETTER answers in the spaces provided on their answer sheets.

• SCORING.     Add 5 points for each correct answer: (1) artist’s name; (2) name of the major artwork; (3) objective items about Art Elements, and (4) objective items about Art History. Subtract 2 points for each wrong answer, or for each answer that was not thoroughly erased. No points are added or deducted for skipped or unanswered test items.

• VERIFICATION PERIOD.     No pens or pencils should be in contestants’ hands while tests and answer sheets with keys are reviewed. Contestants and ONE coach OR parent OR adult have 15 minutes to check the computation of scores and ask questions about items counted incorrect. If the contest is held before March 31, tests must be turned back in to the contest director. Contestants will be disqualified from the contest should the paper be taken from the room prior to this date. After verification has been completed, awards will be issued. (At State, medals will be awarded through 6th place.)

MATERIALS:
• Art Smart Bulletin
• It is recommended that small color prints of the selections be made available to each participant.

COMPANION MATERIALS
PRINTS and other Art resource materials: Slides, small prints (4” x 6”), large prints (11” x 14”), and a recorded audio tour of the selected prints are available from: TUNE IN, P.O. Box 141727, Austin, TX 78714-1727 or 1-800-488-6346.

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Staff Support
Patricia Walters, Ed.D., Executive Director Phone: (817) 416-9504 or 1-888-972-PSIA (7742) Fax: (817) 416-9576 E-mail: psia@flash.net