The paper, one in a series of instructional units for gifted students, concentrates on contempory art with an emphasis on developing abstract thinking and creative problem solving at a higher cognitive level. An introductory section reviews basic program concepts and briefly describes the use of such procedures as open-ended discussion, guest speakers, field trips, and individual and group projects. Different movements in art are briefly covered, and examples of artists of that period are offered: Dadaism, impressionism, pointillism, expressionism, abstract-expressionism, cubism, realism, surrealism, and neoprimitivism. Additional narrative is provided on mural painting, sculpture, architecture, and bridges. Vocabulary lists, discussion questions, suggested projects, and a list of resources conclude the booklet. (CL)