This study investigated three teachers and their students at International School in Guatemala as they engaged with social issues through and with art. Student and teacher experiences were examined using critical theory, concerned with ideological conflicts that shape the curriculum and how knowledge is legitimated within schools and communities (Anyon, 1978; Apple, 2004), and multiliteracies, concerned with the multimodal forms learners engage with mean-making visually, spatially, auditorily, and behaviorally (Berriz et al., 2019; Holloway & Gouthro, 2020; New London Group, 1996). Following a qualitative study approach, two secondary classrooms and one primary classroom were selected as they were already engaging with art and social issues in their classroom before the study. Over the semester, I conducted semi-structured interviews with participants, engaged with participant observations virtually, and analyzed student artwork. The first key finding indicates that art can be used to engage students in meaningful reflective practices. For the teachers, art was used to spark conversations and engage their students in critical thinking. For students, art served as a tool to gain clarity, refine their perspectives and opinions, and consider their emotions before speaking or sharing with others. The second finding suggested that art was used as representation and symbolism to challenge existing perspectives and assumptions. For students, art as representation and symbolism came up in conversations that acknowledged art as a helpful tool to represent and convey emotions specifically through color to symbolize different feelings. The final finding offered the potential of art as a communicative tool for students to engage with the content in the classroom. Namely, art was identified as an alternative way of communicating and demonstrating learning as well as a way to bring student voices to the center of the classroom. These findings have implications for research and future practice in the classroom. First, the results draw attention to the importance of context and teacher/student dynamics when teaching or engaging with social issues. For example, more research is needed to understand how students interpret social issues lessons when they do not share the same cultural identity as their teacher. Second, critical reflection in conversations about social issues affirms the need for classroom practices that support learners in naming, questioning, and challenging their prior knowledge. Third, providing multimodal ways to demonstrate learning and utilize both rational and emotional discourses can benefit students' well-being and understanding of the social issues they encounter. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]