The Program
Spotlight is an annual McNay Art Museum program that invites San Antonio K-12 students to engage deeply with a work from the museum’s collection. During the academic year, students learn about the featured artist, then respond by creating artwork of their own that is personal, thoughtful, and original. At the end of the academic year, their work is displayed in an exhibition.
The Exhibition
This year’s Spotlight program was especially rich, with students drawing inspiration from Katie Pell’s Charm and Weight. The exhibition, “Spotlight: K-12 Artists Respond to Katie Pell,” features work by 1,672 students, 49 teachers, and 39 schools from 14 districts. The works will be on view in 3 rotations:
Ist Rotation: May 17 – August 23, 2026
High School:
- Alamo Heights HS
- Edison HS
- Judson HS
- Sci Tech SA College Prep (SST)
- Somerset Academy Brooks
- Taft HS
- Veterans Memorial HS
- Victoria East HS
- Wagner HS
Middle School:
- Henry Metzger MS
- La Vernia Jr. High
- Wood MS
2nd Rotation: September 10, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Middle School:
- Bradley MS
- Capt. Mark Tyler Voss MS
- Cibolo Creek MS
- Kirby MS
- Kitty Hawk MS / J-STEM Acad
- Navarro Jr. High
- Young Men’s Leadership Academy
- Young Women’s Leadership Academy
3rd Rotation: January 28 – April 25, 2027
Elementary School:
- Abiding Presence Lutheran Church Dayschool
- Anne Frank Inspire Academy
- BASIS San Antonio Primary North Central
- Cambridge Elementary
- Freedom Elementary School
- Hutchins Elementary School
- Jubilee San Antonio
- Lilypad Farm School
- Loma Park Elementary School
- Nathaniel Hawthorne Academy
- Palo Alto Elementary School
- Robert F. McDermott Elementary School
- Roan Forest Elementary School
- Saint Mary’s Hall
- St. George Episcopal School
- St. Luke’s Episcopal School
- Stafford Early Childhood Center
- Wortham Oaks Elementary School
The Celebration
The annual Spotlight Celebration coincides with the exhibition opening, where student artwork is displayed and ceremonies are held for elementary, middle, and high schools. Student artists and their teachers are recognized with certificates and a group photo.
The Impact
The program connects young people to world-class art in a way that goes beyond passive viewing. By asking students to respond creatively, Spotlight builds visual literacy, critical thinking, and artistic confidence. It also gives K-12 students a real public platform for their work inside a professional museum setting, which can be a meaningful and validating experience, especially for kids who may not otherwise see themselves as artists.
Spotlight strengthens the relationship between the McNay and San Antonio’s school communities, and it reflects the museum’s broader commitment to being a resource for the whole city, not just adult visitors.
Support is provided by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, and Texas Commission on the Arts.
Resources
Are you an educator interested in participating? Visit our FAQs
Katie Pell, Charm and Weight, 2008. Wood, with paint. Museum purchase with funds from Rick Liberto, The Smothers Foundation, Lori and Joel Dunlap, Chris Hill and Lachlan Miles, and Guillermo Nicolas and Jim Foster, 2021.1.
