The final round of the annual FCHS M(Art)ch Madness competition ended shortly before spring break with a battle between “The Swing” by Jean-Honoré Fragonard and “The Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh. Out of 408 overall total votes, 233 voted for “The Swing” while 175 voted for ”Starry Night.”

In its third year at FCHS, M(Art)ch Madness is hosted by AP Art History teacher Michelle Coleman. You can read more about the basics of the annual competition here. 

“I do think the students become more engaged in the material when I do it. It makes them remember works we are studying, and they get really competitive over who is winning,” said Coleman.

Similar to the NCAA March Madness, the competition gives students and staff at FCHS the opportunity to vote for their favorite artworks. The voting brackets tighten over the four weeks of voting until it is narrowed down to one artwork. By winning the 2026 competition, “The Swing” becomes a 2x M(Art)ch Madness winner.

Coleman’s AP Art History students can play a role in persuading students to vote for specific art pieces.

“We are tasked with convincing other students to vote for specific artworks in hopes that they’ll win. It can get quite competitive when someone wants their favorite to move on, and they are competing for votes against others in the class,“ said AP Art History student Savannah Peterson.