The Ar(c)t(ic) Design Contest was curated by Dr. Jennie Warmouth and her second grade students at Spruce Elementary School in the Edmonds School District. This annual project invites students around the world to create and submit visual art focused on High Arctic conservation.
Dr. Warmouth and her students launched the Ar(c)t(ic) Design Contest in 2020 following her expedition to Arctic Svalbard as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. The purpose of this work is to encourage other children to learn about the environmental issues facing the Arctic ecosystem through the creation of visual art. All mediums are accepted and a short artist’s statement is also required. Family participation is honored and collaboration is encouraged.
Dr. Warmouth’s students learn to evaluate the submissions based on a nine-point rubric aimed at critiquing each piece’s accuracy/criticality, activation of empathy, and design principles. The three guiding questions are:
- Does this piece teach you or make you want to learn more about conserving the Arctic?
- Does this piece activate care for the Arctic?
- How well does the artist apply principles of design?
Ninety-eight pieces were received from around the United States during the 2023-2024 school year. After photographing, cataloging, and critiquing each piece, the top-scoring 40% were selected for inclusion in the National Nordic Museum’s Ar(c)t(ic) Design virtual gallery. A panel of adult celebrity jurors independently evaluates the students’ top selections each year in order to determine prize winners. This year’s contest was generously sponsored by the National Geographic Society and Seattle Kraken Community Iceplex.
In addition to being a fulltime second grade teacher, Dr. Warmouth is also an empathy researcher, an adjunct professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, and a National Geographic Explorer.
