The Art History Bee combined visual and written elements to create a unique competition enjoyed by a range of divisions, from Elementary to Varsity.
The competition focused not on rote memorization, but the genuine knowledge of the pieces necessary to answer the tossups correctly. For example, while one might know how a work was created, when, and who the artist is, they will need to know specific details about the work to answer the tossup correctly. Additionally, the Art History Bee does not merely ask players to attribute works to artists, but asks about art cities, museums, and movements. The event had seven Varsity students, five Junior Varsity students, six Middle School students, and eleven Elementary students.
Questions ranged from more modern artists and pieces to those from hundreds of years ago, to the extraordinarily obscure. There was a question about artist Yayoi Kusama, architect Louis Sullivan, the Vienna Secession, Demonic script, and MOMA. The students did not specialize in any specific movement or area, but had covered an impressive breadth of art history. The Art History Bee was an exciting competition that analyzed a variety of cultures and times, demonstrating the continuing influence of art in our present day society.
Katherine Spusta
Varsity, Alabama