Spotlight is an annual program that invites students to make creative responses to one work of art in the museum’s collection. Now in its eighth year, the program engages nearly 5,000 students, educators, and their families in and out of the museum through workshops, tours, and community events. Over 1,000 students exhibited creative projects at the McNay in 2018, about a quarter of those students contributed to works featured in the first ever Spotlight exhibition (July 12-November 4, 2018). In 2019, all 445 of the Spotlight responses remained at the museum to be displayed in three exhibitions over the course of the 2019-20 school year.

Students study one work of art from the permanent collection and then create something in response. Class visits, museum tours, teacher workshops, and access to learning materials help prepare and inspire students to create an original project in response. The students’ responses are exhibited or performed at the Spotlight Celebration in May.

Major support for Spotlight is provided by Rackspace, Semmes Foundation, Inc., and Texas Commission for the Arts.

Learn more about this year’s Spotlight.

McNay Spotlight 2019 Video 1 from The McNay Art Museum on Vimeo.