12 Vintage Art Class Memories to Celebrate World Art Day—If You Grew Up in the ’70s or ’80s
Art class in the ’70s and ’80s was messy, magical, and just chaotic enough to stick with us forever.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
If you grew up in the ’70s or ’80s, your art class memories probably smell like paste and feel like construction paper cuts. It was less about technique and more about self-expression—with a lot of elbow macaroni involved. On World Art Day, it’s the perfect time to revisit those wonderfully weird and creative moments.
1. Elmer’s Glue on Fingers Was the Main Event
Apfenn1 on Wikimedia Commons
There was something deeply satisfying about smearing white glue on your hands and peeling it off like a second skin. You weren’t done with your project until you’d lost at least one layer of dignity and one tiny patch of skin. Somehow, this never got old. The real art was pretending it was a lizard shedding.
2. Macaroni Masterpieces Were Everywhere
Popo le Chien on Wikimedia Commons
Pasta wasn’t just for lunch—it was for portraits, picture frames, and holiday gifts. If your artwork didn’t include elbow macaroni, was it even real? Glue, spray paint, and dry noodles became high art. Parents smiled like it was the Mona Lisa while wondering if that frame would ever stop shedding penne.
3. That One Giant Crayon Bin of Chaos
Rossographer on Wikimedia Commons
Every art room had that bottomless plastic bin of broken, wrapper-less crayons. Digging through it felt like treasure hunting in a rainbow junkyard. You never found the color you wanted, but you’d settle for a sad nub of brown. Bonus points if it melted onto the radiator in winter.
4. Tempera Paint Mayhem
Joyful spherical creature on Wikimedia Commons
Tempera paint was gloopy, smelled weird, and stained everything—including your soul. It came in giant pump bottles that never pumped right and always splattered. Your brush was always half-hardened from last week’s masterpiece. Still, we made magic (and a mess) with it.
5. Tracing Paper Felt Like Wizardry
Newone on Wikimedia Commons
Tracing paper made you feel like a true artist—even if you were just copying Garfield. You’d tape it down, carefully follow the lines, and act like it was freehand. Teachers pretended not to notice. Hey, it was technically your work, right?
6. The Iconic Weekly Still Life
Georg Flegel on Wikimedia Commons
Every week, there’s a fruit bowl, plastic flowers, or a sad-looking stuffed animal. You were told to “draw what you see,” but somehow, your banana looked like a bent shoe. Still, life taught us patience, perspective, and the humble acceptance of failure. You never looked at apples the same again.
7. Construction Paper Collages That Defied Logic
Dean Hochman on Wikimedia Commons
Layering random scraps into a “scene” was basically the entire lesson plan for some weeks. A blue triangle became a bird, a green blob was a tree, and scissors were magic wands. Glue sticks were gold, but you made do with that crusty white glue bottle. Every collage ended with, “It’s abstract!”
8. Pottery Day Was Pure Chaos
Kritzolina on Wikimedia Commons
Clay was cold, wet, and stuck under your nails for three days. You molded a lopsided bowl or a mysterious “ashtray,” even if your family didn’t smoke. It cracked in the kiln or came out neon orange for no reason. Still, your parents kept it for 20 years.
9. Oil Pastels: Beautiful but Messy Monsters
SpiritedMichelle on Wikimedia Commons
Oil pastels looked like fancy crayons until you used them and realized they melted into everything. There’s smudge everywhere. Your hands looked like a crime scene, and your shirt was never safe. The colors? Chef’s kiss.
10. The Annual “Draw Your Family” Assignment
F. Holland Day on Wikimedia Commons
Nothing revealed drama like kids drawing Mom as a stick figure and Dad as a triangle. Pets were always 10 times bigger than siblings. There was always that one kid who drew a spaceship or a dinosaur instead. Family portraits were more abstract therapy than assignments.
11. Glitter: The Forbidden Delight
GiFontenelle on Wikimedia Commons
If your art teacher was brave, glitter was allowed—once a year. You’d go wild, then sparkle for the next six months. The floor, your face, your lunch—everything got glitter-bombed. Teachers immediately regretted it, but we never did.
12. The Bulletin Board Hall of Fame
Bob Harvey on Wikimedia Commons
Getting your art pinned on the hallway board? That was basically winning an Oscar. You’d casually lead friends past it like, “Oh, that? Just something I made.” It was your 15 minutes of fame, even if your name was spelled wrong. You peaked—and it felt glorious.