With the goal of re-engaging students in their art class, a participatory action research project was conducted in which an art teacher, his eighth-graders, and the researcher as mentor-teacher used democratic practices to negotiate the structure and content of their class over a school year. Starting with an agreed upon concept of art, pedagogical strategies were developed that moved the class from teacher-centered to idea-centered. These strategies included elevating student perspectives, minimizing teacher talk with active listening techniques, and expanding "working in art class" to include idea-development practices.