Why Every Program Needs an Art Hall of Fame (Ep. 532)

In this episode of Art Ed Radio, host Tim Bogatz talks with Trevor Brockhaus, a high school art teacher from Bellevue, Nebraska, about creating an Art Hall of Fame. Trevor shares how his program recognizes one outstanding senior each year, displays that student’s artwork in the art room, and celebrates student achievements throughout the school. They discuss how art shows, awards, and visible recognition can help students understand that their work matters.

Trevor and Tim also explore how an Art Hall of Fame can build a culture of excellence, inspire younger students, and serve as a powerful advocacy tool for the entire art program. Trevor offers practical advice for teachers who want to begin recognizing students but may not know where to start, including developing a simple scoring rubric, looking at how other school programs celebrate achievement, and finding meaningful ways to honor both accomplishment and growth.

Resources and Links

• Learn more about the Art Ed NOW Conference!
• Come join the Art of Ed Community!
• Browse the Art Ed Radio archives
• 12 Projects for a Great Art Show
• 6 Ways to Partner With the Community for a Successful School Art Show
• 5 Reasons For and Against Putting on an Art Show
• Advocating for Art Education

Transcript

Transcript

Tim: Trevor, how are you?

Trevor: I’m doing great.

Tim: Excellent. Welcome to the show for the first time. We should start with an introduction. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your teaching?

Trevor: I’m Trevor Brockhaus. I’m a high school art teacher in Bellevue, Nebraska, and this is my sixth year as a teacher. I primarily teach drawing, ceramics, and AP Art. I also have my elementary education degree, so I’ve taught summer school at the elementary level quite a bit. I come from a family of elementary teachers, too, so I know the younger students a little bit.

Tim: Should we talk about me being your teacher in the past?

Trevor: Yes. I think I’m your first former student to become an art teacher.

Tim: I believe you are. You’re definitely the first former student of mine to become an art teacher and the first former student to come on the podcast. Thanks for doing that. I haven’t prepared you for this question, but would you like to tell everyone about your experience with me as a teacher? What were the good things and the bad things back in the day?

Trevor: I thought that was what the whole podcast was about. We were just going to tell everyone what the real Mr. Bogatz was like. I’m still going to call you Mr. Bogatz because calling you Tim feels weird.

I think you come through pretty well on the podcast. You can get a sense of your personality, especially during the Hot Takes episodes—the recent one about artists you dislike comes to mind.

One story I remember happened during my senior year in AP Art. We were working on something related to Picasso, and I did not like it because I didn’t like Picasso. You were talking about Picasso and saying, “Look at his cool faces. He turns them this way and that way,” and discussing the shapes and everything. I didn’t like it the entire class period.

At the end of class, you came over to our table and mentioned how much you hated Picasso. I thought, “What are we doing?”

Tim: That’s good. My hatred of Picasso is longstanding. Regular listeners have probably heard me harp on that a little too much.

I’ve known Trevor and his family forever. Trevor’s mom taught both of my kids in kindergarten, and I coached basketball with his dad, so we go way back. Trevor has been doing some great things in the art room, and I’m glad I can finally have him on the podcast.

We wanted to talk about the Art Hall of Fame and why more teachers should consider setting one up for their programs. Can you start by explaining what the Art Hall of Fame is?

Trevor: The simplest way to explain it is that, at our school, we’ve set up what is essentially an art valedictorian. Each year, we select one senior who has had the most accomplished art career or experience during their time at our school.

That student gets to choose one art piece to leave in the art room. We make a print of the artwork so the student still gets to keep the original. To paint a picture for listeners, as you walk into my classroom, you see the typical art storage cabinets. There are about four feet of space above those cabinets.

One day, during my first year, a student asked me, “How do I get my art up on the cabinet?” There were already a bunch of art projects up there, and I thought, “We need to figure out something to put on top of the cabinets. Or why do we put art on top of the cabinets?”

That’s when I came up with the idea of an Art Hall of Fame. We painted a giant sign above the cabinets, so when everyone walks into the room, they see the Art Hall of Fame sign right away. Then they see all of this great artwork from past students. These are some of the best students and some of their best pieces, so it makes the art room look really good when people visit.

Tim: That empty space above the cabinets has become a place of honor.

Trevor: Exactly. So far, it has all been two-dimensional work, but I’m working on developing a three-dimensional section as well. We have two main areas in our classroom: one is the drawing area, and the other is the three-dimensional area. I’m working on criteria for displaying three-dimensional projects, too.

Tim: You also told me that your students get their official photos displayed on a Wall of Champions. What does that look like, and who is included?

Trevor: I don’t want to take full credit for the Art Hall of Fame. One of my past co-teachers, Paula Yoachim, helped get it started.

In 2018, one of Paula’s students came to her and said, “We have this Wall of Champions outside in the main hallway of our school. It features every program. Choir has students who made All-State Choir, band has students who made All-State Band, and athletics has all of its accomplishments. But we don’t have an art student up there. We need to figure something out for art.”

Paula and that student came up with a list of criteria and the idea of selecting an art valedictorian each year. Each year, one student is selected to be featured on the Wall of Champions. The display includes the student’s name and the awards they earned throughout their time at Bellevue West in art.

That’s how the idea started. I took it and expanded it inside the classroom by displaying the students’ artwork above the cabinets as another way to honor their accomplishments.

Tim: When you first approached your administrators about creating an Art Hall of Fame and getting everything started, what was their reaction? Were they receptive to the idea?

Trevor: The administrators have been receptive to things like this. I think one of the main reasons is that it makes our art program look good. People come in, see great artwork, and think, “This is a prestigious program.” That’s what I’m going for, at least. In turn, it makes the school look good and makes everybody look good.

Tim: Thinking about the logistics of figuring out who gets recognized, you mentioned that you have some criteria. Can you talk more about how students are selected?

Trevor: I love art shows. Our school participates in about four or five art shows each year. We have some traditional shows that we participate in annually, so I’ve gotten to know the skill level of our students, as well as the students from other schools in the metro area.

Paula and the first student selected for the Wall of Champions came up with the original criteria, and I built on that. We use a scoring rubric. For example, if a student wins Best in Show at one of our competitions, that is a significant award, so they receive 50 points.

It’s a basic point system, but teachers could design it in whatever way works for their program. It also takes some of the pressure off me. It’s not as if I’m simply choosing my favorite student. We have established criteria, and the winner is determined by how the points add up.

We participate in so many art shows that if a student really wants to be selected for the Hall of Fame, they are going to be entering a lot of artwork. By the end of senior year, someone usually stands out.

Tim: Have you ever had a situation where the decision was really close and you had to study the rubric carefully?

Trevor: Not yet. Last year, I thought it might be close, but we participate in so many different art shows that, by the end of senior year, a student who has been here since freshman year has probably participated in at least 15 shows. If they enter three or four shows each year, it really starts to add up.

We haven’t had anyone who was extremely close. I think it also helps that I explain the process clearly, so students understand that the person who wins earned it fairly.

Tim: That’s great. What kind of reactions do you get from other art students when they come into the classroom and see the student photos in the hallway or the artwork displayed above the cabinets?

Trevor: We just started our first week of school, so we’ve had a lot of freshmen coming into the room. It’s always fun to see them enter the art room and look around. It’s a big space, and the first thing they see is the giant Art Hall of Fame sign and all of the great artwork.

They’ll say, “Wait, did high school students do that?” Then I say, “Yes.” They’re amazed that a high school student created the work.

I suspect that some of them are also thinking, “How do I get my work up there? My artwork is going to be displayed there someday.” There are always a handful of students each year who decide, especially as freshmen, that art is going to be their thing. It gives them something to work toward.

Tim: Are students ever intimidated by seeing that level of skill and quality? Or does it become a teaching moment where you can say, “If you’re here for a few years and work hard, you can get to that point, too”?

Trevor: I think it’s both. “Intimidating” may not be the right word, but I want the display to set a high standard. Students come in and see that there is a culture of excellence in the art program.

We’re not just drawing rainbows and doodling or treating art like it doesn’t matter because it’s an elective. Art can be an important class in which students can excel.

Some students look at the artwork and say, “A high school student created that?” I tell them, “Yes. If you keep working at it and practice, we can help you make a lot more progress than you might expect.”

Tim: Absolutely. I think the display can also serve as a really powerful advocacy piece.

Thinking about the bigger picture, why is it important to recognize students for art, especially when they are more commonly recognized for athletic or academic achievements?

Trevor: Part of my perspective comes from growing up. I loved sports, but I was never a sports kid. I was never going to be the star varsity athlete. I was okay in gym class, but nothing spectacular.

Art was always my thing. I thought, “This is where I’m going to excel.” I’ve taken that experience and connected it to the way sports are celebrated.

We’re from Nebraska, so the Huskers are a huge deal. When you walk into the Huskers’ stadium, some of the first things you see are the national championship trophies and the Heisman trophies. Those displays show everyone what the school focuses on and what it honors.

When people walk into an art room or a school and see that art is important and is being recognized, I think it elevates the program. It tells everyone that art is not just another elective or a place where students go to have fun. It’s something students can dedicate themselves to.

If students put their minds to it, use their talents, and practice, they can build themselves up to a really high level.

Tim: That’s really well said.

I have one last question for you—and then I guess one last question after that. I love for our guests to offer advice to listeners. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start an Art Hall of Fame? If a listener thinks, “I would love to do that for my program,” where is a good place to start?

Trevor: I would encourage it. As art students come through school, the art teacher is often the person most likely to recognize them. If you’re not recognizing those students, I don’t think many other people are going to go out of their way to make sure they receive that recognition.

You can set up something like an Art Hall of Fame, but it doesn’t have to be exactly that. I have other areas in the art room where I try to recognize students.

For example, we started a wheel-throwing masters club this year. Students don’t excel at wheel throwing right away. It’s something where, if they practice, they can eventually become very skilled. There are always a handful of students who begin to love wheel throwing once they get the hang of it.

Recognize students for how much hard work went into making something. At the high school level, it may look different than it does at the elementary level, but you can create small award ceremonies or other opportunities to celebrate student growth.

For example, an elementary teacher might create a sixth-grade show featuring work from kindergarten through sixth grade to show how a student has progressed over time. It depends on the school and what is possible there.

Something that has really helped me is looking at other programs. This all started because we looked at the sports and band programs and saw how they recognized their students. We asked, “How can we do something similar for art?” Then we adapted the idea to fit our program.

Tim: I think that’s a really good approach and a great way to get started. Whether it’s an Art Hall of Fame or another type of recognition, do what works for your school.

Trevor, thank you so much for joining me.

Trevor: Before we go, can I share one more story?

Tim: Of course.

Trevor: I think this happened during my sophomore year. It was probably after school, when we were doing Art Club or something. I was in the back of the room, and a student came in to interview you.

One of the questions was a traditional interview question: “Why did you become an art teacher?” I thought, “This will be interesting,” and I was eavesdropping because I wanted to hear your answer.

You said it had to do with the fact that your art teacher was so bad that you thought you could do a better job. You were determined to become a better art teacher.

I just want to say that I didn’t have that problem.

Tim: I appreciate that clarification.

Trevor: You were a great art teacher, and you inspired me a lot. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but you put a lot of effort into teaching and made it fun. I took that experience with me and realized that I wanted to be an art teacher, too.

Tim: I very much appreciate hearing that. Thank you.

It feels good to know that my goal of being better than my terrible sophomore-year art teacher came true.

Thank you for sharing that. It means a lot to me.