Book excerpt: What could be more exciting, relevant or important than teaching art in the 21st century?Whether you are an experienced art teacher looking for some fresh ideas, or just starting out and need some backup, Inspiring Young Artists outlines a rigorous approach to a high school visual art curriculum centered on issues from contemporary art. With sample assignments and supporting resources, these projects address a wide range of topics to engage students in authentic artistic thinking. Multi-week and theme-based, the projects form an entire course modifiable for ninth through twelfth graders but are also flexible enough in their design to be used individually to supplement any existing curriculum. The eight projects contain over 100 links to online supporting resources. Starting with "hooks" to create interest, they also provide context for students by introducing relevant art history, build artistic skills and experimentation through project development, maximize creative problem solving during studio production, and encourage metacognition of concepts and processes with reflection questions. Suggested timelines and teacher notes from the author's experience using these projects in the classroom provide guidance. Aligned with the National Art Education Association's Common Core Standards and Project Zero's 8 Studio Habits of Mind, each project outline contains Enduring Understandings, Essential Questions, Objectives, and Learning Targets.