You’ve heard of March Madness—but what about art madness for Spanish class? Instead of basketball teams, students go head-to-head with iconic Hispanic heritage art, voting on their favorite pieces of artwork in Spanish as they move through a tournament-style bracket. Locura de Arte turns art and culture into an interactive experience your students will actually look forward to each day.
Teaching art in Spanish class has always been one of my favorite things. And I am excited to share this engaging and interactive resource with you!
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Grab your FREE Spanish art vocabulary lesson. This makes the perfect intro to Locura de Arte so students can describe the artwork in the target language.
What is Locura de Arte or Art Madness?
Locura de Arte (Art Madness) is a Hispanic art tournament created by Llearning Llama that brings a little fun, competition, and a lot of student voice into Spanish class. It works just like a March Madness–style bracket, but with art instead of basketball.
Students learn about 16 Hispanic artworks, then vote on their favorites as they move through each round. Each day, two artworks go head-to-head, and the class decides which one advances. By the end of the tournament, students crown their favorite artwork as the winner.
It’s an easy, low-prep way to expose students to Hispanic art and culture while getting them excited, talking, and sharing opinions — and it feels more like a game than a traditional lesson.
How does it work?
The bracket starts with 16 Hispanic artworks. Each day, students compare two artworks and vote on their favorite. After completing round one, you will be down to 8 artworks. Continue the voting until your class gets to the final two artworks. Take one final vote to crown the winner.
Each pair of artworks in round one is color coded for easy visual cues for your students.
You can show the two paintings on your projector screen or print and display on your walls (more info below). Students can vote based on just the paintings or you can share the written descriptions – there is a simplified (novice) and standard (intermediate) description of each painting.
How long does the bracket take?
If you follow the traditional set-up I have included in the download, your students will look at and compare two paintings each day. The entire bracket will take 15 days to complete.
- Round 1: 8 Days
- Round 2: 4 Days
- Round 3 (Semi-finals): 2 Days
- Round 4 (Finals): 1 Day
Alternatively, if you are short on time, you can choose to do a condensed version and vote multiple times in a day. For example, you could do Paintings 1 vs. 2 and Paintings 3 vs. 4 on the first day rather than split those up into two days.
By using the included comprehensible texts for each painting, the activity can be expanded a little more. There are novice and intermediate versions of the text. If you just want students to vote based on the paintings – then skip the texts.
What artworks are included?
There are artworks by famous and even lesser-known Hispanic artists from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries. Your students will view artwork by artists like Salvador Dalí, Amelia Peláez, Francisco Goya, Fernando Llort, Lourdes Villagomez, and more.
The artworks are also varied in artistic style. You will explore cubism, self-portraits, classical, and many other styles. Students will experience a wide range of Hispanic artists, styles, colors, and historical periods.
What do I need?
Once you get the download, you have everything you need! This entire tournament can be done virtually, presenting the slides on a screen and even voting online.
However, you also have the option to make a Locura de Arte bulletin board or gallery walk. Included in the download are large-print titles of each artwork and images of the artwork without descriptions. You can choose how to create your bulletin board based on the space you have.
For a gallery walk, you could turn your classroom into an art gallery. Every day, you will print and display the two artworks you will be voting on. Hang those near each other in your classroom. Students can walk up to the artwork and look at it in person before voting.
The benefit of a gallery walk is that students can do it on their own time… as they arrive in your classroom as a bellringer, as a fast finishers activity, a brain break, or even an exit ticket.
Can my novice students participate? What about intermediate?
Yes and yes! Locura de arte gives you SO many options for differentiation:
- Vote based on images and titles – no reading required. This is great for the truly novice students. It is also perfect for quick bellringers.
- Novice descriptions of each painting – great for novice high or even quick reads for intermediate students.
- Intermediate descriptions of each painting – for intermediate students.
- There are also English versions if you want your novice students to have some context or if you teach a culture course.
How do students vote?
Students can vote on paper. Included in the download is a printable template. It is easy to fill out and asks students which painting they prefer, why, and how it makes them feel. The teacher will need to tally the results at the end of each vote.
There is also a Google Forms for each day included! It is a HUGE time saver. You get 15 Google Forms – one for each vote, so tallying is automatic.
For the quickest, easiest tallying, just have students raise their hand. You may also ask them to fill out the handwritten form, but this saves you time when adding up the votes.
Do I have to do Locura de Arte in March?
Nope! Locura de Arte is for any time of year. It would be a fun way to make March an exciting month that is already buzzing with March Madness fever. But I suggest doing Locura de Arte whenever it fits best into your curriculum. When teaching Spanish 3, I taught an art unit that was one-third of the school year. That is when I would have incorporated this.
Is there an English version?
Yes! And it comes with everything that the Spanish version does, just in English. All the paintings, readings, 15 Google forms, etc. come in English. Get the English version here.
Why will my students love Locura de Arte?
- It feels like a game, not a worksheet. The tournament format creates excitement, friendly competition, and daily anticipation.
- Students get meaningful choice and ownership. Their votes matter, and they see how individual opinions shape the final outcome.
- It naturally sparks discussion. Students want to explain why they chose an artwork, which leads to authentic speaking and writing opportunities.
- It’s visually engaging. Even reluctant learners are pulled in by the colors, styles, and emotions in the artwork.
- It’s accessible for everyone. Students at different proficiency levels can participate confidently, whether they’re voting based on visuals or engaging with the texts.
- It breaks up the routine. Locura de Arte feels fresh and different from a typical class day, making it especially motivating during long stretches of the school year.
Related Lessons & Activities
If you are looking for other Art Lessons for Spanish class, check out these related blog posts:
- Turn Your Classroom into an Art Gallery
- 12 Art Activities for ANY Painting in Spanish
- Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans
- Salvador Dali Lesson Plans
- Diego Rivera Lesson Plans
- Pablo Picasso Lesson Plans
Do you have any other questions about Locura de Arte? Comment below!
If you’re looking for a low-prep way to bring excitement, culture, and student voice into your Spanish classroom, Locura de Arte is an easy win. Whether you use it as a quick daily activity, a gallery walk, or a full tournament experience, it gives students a chance to engage with Hispanic art in a meaningful way—without adding stress to your plate. If your students love sharing opinions and you love lessons that feel fun and purposeful, this is one activity you’ll come back to year after year.
