PDF File - Art Educators of Minnesota

MOVING FORWARD IN 2013 

The development of the next generation of voluntary 

National Visual Arts standard and the first generation 

of voluntary National Media Arts Standards is underway. 

Writing teams for each of the five arts disciplines 

began their work in February of 2012; the release of 

the new arts standards is planned for January, 2014. 

NAEA is among a number of governing organizations 

of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NC- 

CAS), leading the development of the arts standards 

writing teams. 

Development of the Standards in keeping 

with the broader educational context: The 

context of “big ideas” positions the standards 

within a complete framework that also includes 

Philosophical Foundations, Lifelong Goals, Enduring 

Understandings, Essential Questions, and Model 

Cornerstone Assessments. 

The Processes of Creating, Presenting, and 

Responding: The standards are organized around 

the artistic processes of Creating, Presenting, and 

Responding, reflecting the use of these terms within 

the NAEP Arts Assessment. However, Presenting is 

being used by visual arts, whereas Performing is used 

by dance, theatre, and music, and Producing is used 

by media arts. 

Uniformity Across all of the Arts Disciplines: 

The development of the new arts standards reflects the 

oversight and collaboration among all of the key stakeholders, 

including a conceptual framework and matrix 

that is uniform across all of the arts disciplines, while 

reflecting the specific qualities and characteristics of 

each arts discipline. The 1994 standards did not provide 

this level of uniformity with the primary consistency 

reflected in publishing all of the four disciplines (visual 

art, music, dance, and theater) in one publication. 

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IN SIDE: 

Grad student in art education 

Art Educator of the Year 

Professional Development Committee 

News from the Perpich Center 

2013 Youth Art Month Exhibition 

The View from Delegates Assembly 

Ogilvie Art Trio Travel to NYC 

Editor’s Corner 

Online Links 

Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards 

Qualified Grant Application Review 

2013 AEM Fall Conference Update 

Workshop Influenced a School Project 

AEM Council Roster 

NAEA National Convention 

Grade Level Standards: The standards will cover 

grades Pre-K through 8 by individual grade levels, 

rather than by grade bands. It is not yet determined 

how high school standards will be presented. Anchor 

standards for each of the components of the processes 

of Creating, Presenting, and Responding provide the 

essence of the individual Performance Standards 

developed for each grade level. 

Model Cornerstone Assessments: The development 

of the new standards is actually a two-part process. 

As standards are developed, model cornerstone 

assessments will be incorporated into the work in 

order to provide examples of how the arts standards 

can be assessed. They will provide examples of student 

assessments by grade band, supporting a clear understanding 

that there are a variety of ways to construct 

authentic assessments for the new standards. 

Art Educators of Minnesota 

Mission Statement 

Promote and advocate quality art education 

for all learners through networking, sharing 

and collaborating with local, state and 

national resources and provide information 

and professional growth opportunities for 

all art educators of Minnesota. 

continued on next page>>> 

www.aem-mn.org 

Spring 2013 AEM Art Exchange 1

{ 

Grad Student in Art Education at 

By Jo-Ann Kirkman 

the University of MN, Mankato 

I was surprised to receive a letter from Gina Wenger at 

The U of MN. Mankato asking if I might be interested in 

hosting a graduate student for 30 hours of observation 

and an introduction to teaching. With my whole-hearted 

"YES" reply, Laura Mayo was sent my way. 

Together, we shared all the triumphs and tribulations 

we art teachers have in the classroom. Laura, without 

a doubt, is ready to lead- or flip!- a classroom with her 

knowledge, integrity, spirit and enthusiasm! 

I asked her some questions about teaching 

art: Laura decided to become an art teacher 6 years 

after she received her BA in Studio Art. She accidentally 

found herself in a sales career with Pearson Education 

which she liked very much until she had her second child 

and decided to be a stay at home mom. She didn't stop 

working outside her home however! She volunteered at 

her children's school and served on the board of the community 

ECFE. She has always loved art and education, so, 

decided to become an art teacher with a graduate degree. 

Laura researched universities that would best fit her needs 

and chose Mankato. Laura explained that Mankato was 

the least expensive, and, in her opinion, the departments 

were the most organized, consistent, reliable and professional 

of the schools she researched in the twin cities area. 

Her best class has been her Art Methods Course because 

it is taught by an experienced art classroom teacher 

who deals with real life issues, and real life scenarios, 

not just the philosophies of art education. But, Laura 

added that every class has been challenging, interesting 

and rewarding. 

When asked about her own work, Laura evaluates and 

questions society with her socially charged drawings, 

cartoons and prints. "My art touches hot button issues. 

I feel I will have to draw a line between my art and my 

teaching. I want to teach students to develop their own 

ideas". Teaching artistic foundations and applications 

builds understanding for students so that they can express 

their own ideas. "Art insists on higher cognitive thinking 

processes- tools students can apply in all areas of life." 

Laura's biggest fear is the same we all have- "...being 

able to stay on task and in focus and to make certain all 

kids walk away from each class with knowledge". Laura's 

success, too, was familiar, "...getting over nerves and 

standing in front of a class and doing it!" Bravo, Laura! 

Check out Laura's brilliant lessons with 

photographs of students' work on the Orono 

Intermediate School Artsonia webpage: 

http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.aspid=73961 

Here is more information about Laura in 

her words: I grew up on a farm in the Southwestern 

corner of North Dakota. Most of my days were spent 

outside exploring the world around me, and inventing 

worlds within the one I lived – my surroundings were vast, 

curious, and magical. When I was not outside juxtaposing 

my imagination into the reality of my surroundings, 

I was inside scribbling it onto paper and attempting, 

often in vain, to duplicate it somehow inside my family’s 

home. I did then, as I do today, understood the world 

visually --through lines, colors, value, shapes, forms, and 

texture; I took those elements and reinterpreted them 

in a way that allowed my mind to venture down paths 

of thoughts otherwise unexplored. I was an artist, and 

this is why every child is an artist. When we are young 

everything is still new and boundaries are unrealized. I 

often feel the trick in growing older is to see past the 

boundaries our minds create as time goes by. After high 

school I attended college at Minnesota State University 

of Moorhead where I receiving a BA in Art. At that time 

I seriously considered getting a Bachelors in Education, 

but instead decided to concentrate on art. To pay my way 

through college I worked for a company taking care of 

mentally handicapped and ill adults and children, and during 

the summers I also worked at a nursing home in the 

Alzheimer unit as a nursing assistant. These jobs taught 

me more than any other job I’ve had thus far, other than 

being a parent. I learned heaps of techniques on how 

to best take care of individuals dealing with varieties of 

challenges, but most importantly, I learned that art could 

be used as a tool of clarity, even for individuals in some 

of the most confused and frustrated states of mind. The 

importance of art was made clear to me at this time, and 

as the years have passed, this understanding has only 

deepened. It was also during college that I realized just 

how much I relied on my ability to recreate and interpret 

through drawing, etching, and painting, in order to digest 

and make sense of the world, and all its happenings. 

After college I began a career in sales and continued 

building that career for 6 years until my second child was 

born. At that point I decided to become a stay-at-home 

mother. During this time my children and I were involved 

in ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education), where I 

served as an elected member of the Dayton’s Bluff Parent 

Advisory Board, and the All City Parent Advisory Board 

for two years. I also was coordinator of the Dayton’s Bluff 

ECFE Annual Plant Sale. While being a stay-at-home 

mom, I found myself in awe of the amazing boundary-free 

minds that possessed my children’s little heads – these 

exploring minds constantly creating and destroying, and 

reshaping all that was around them. To this day I sit and 

draw with my children, as we talk and explain the mysteries 

our drawings unravel, and often solve. 

When it came time for me to put thought back into my 

career, I realized I needed art to be a part of my everyday 

life. But not just my own art, or my understanding of art; I 

needed to be surrounded by new, growing minds – minds 

that had the ability to break art down to its purest form, 

and build it back up again. That is when I decided I wanted 

to go back to school to receive a Masters in K-12 education. 

The process of creating art is one that insists on using 

the higher cognitive thinking process; in order to create 

one must first remember, understand, apply, analyze and 

evaluate. With the application of DBAE (Disciplined Based 

Art Education) into the art classroom, students not only 

learn the history and proper techniques behind the artistic 

process; they learn how to examine and explore their own 

understandings in order to create art that communicates 

these understandings. What could be better than serving 

as one who guides students through that process I 

look forward to a fulfilling career of teaching, and I plan 

to bring with it the passion I see when I look into my 

students’ eyes as they process the world around them. 



Christie Clarke 

Minnesota’s Art Educator of the Year 

By Kris Holsen 

Christie Clarke was celebrated at the Western Region Awards Ceremony at the 

NAEA National Convention in Fort Worth Texas on March 8, 2013. It was my 

pleasure to introduce Christie, and I want to share with you some of the remarks 

I used to introduce her. 

Christie Clarke teaches at Northfield High School, where she has been instrumental 

in helping her team of art teachers develop the media arts program, the first ever 

in the school’s history. 

Christie has been involved with the visual arts in many facets, and is an accomplished 

potter in her right. Christie has a keen ability to develop each student, regardless of 

their exposure or experience in visual or media arts. Additionally, Christie has been 

a leader in staff development and department expansion, securing many outside 

grants to provide students a relevant, 21st century experience. 

She has participated in numerous professional activities to expand her teaching 

and share her knowledge with her students. Christie helped to write the Minnesota 

state standards in Media arts as a member of the Minnesota state Quality Teaching 

Network. She has led student art trips to New York City, Italy, Greece and Japan. In 

November of 2003 she received a Fulbright Memorial Fellowship to study education 

in Japan for 3 weeks. She was awarded a fellowship to study cutting-edge 

Web technology for two weeks in July 2006 at the Chicago Art Institute Teachers 

Institute. Christie took a leave of absence during the spring semester of 2008 to 

take a 5 week trip to New Zealand and the South Pacific. In 2009 she traveled 

to Thailand to teach active learning styles to Thai teachers. In April of 2009 she 

presented a session on teaching digital film at the NAEA and has presented on 

similar topics three times for Art Educators of Minnesota. In 2010 she was selected 

to attend the Rauschenburg Foundation’s "Power of Art" workshop at the Lab 

School in Washington, DC to study how art can transform the lives of differentlyabled 

students. She is also a member of the City of Northfield Arts and Culture 

Commission and a member of the Northfield United Way board. 

A former student had this to say about Christie: 

"I was excited to learn that Christie Clarke was chosen for an art education award, 

because she really deserves more thanks than I can give her. She and the other art 

teachers at Northfield High School gave me a place where I felt safe and welcome, 

a solid education in the one subject in which I ever felt truly in my element, and, 

from Christie in particular, the encouragement and support I needed to pursue my 

own future in art and in education. While I loved the environment and the content 

of all my high school art classes, I do feel that I owe a special thanks to Christie 

for taking a personal interest in me, for saying “yes” to so many of my requests 

for extra information, for side projects, and for any excuse to spend more hours in 

the art room. She gave me the encouragement to go down a path that was new 

and frightening to me, and she gave me the fine example of a supportive, inclusive, 

and challenging art educator, to which I dearly hope I can someday live up to." 

Secondary Art Educator Of The Year 

By Jeremy Holien 

As a former colleague in the Northfield Public Schools, it was an honor to see my 

friend Christie Clark named as the Minnesota Secondary Art Educator of the Year 

and Minnesota Art Educator of the Year. As the Visual & Media Arts Education 

Coordinator in MN and former art teacher for Northfield Public Schools, I have 

collaborated with Christie extensively and know firsthand the quality of her work. 

Christie’s vast knowledge, skilled teaching style, passionate advocacy for the arts, 

and deep commitment to students make her an excellent recipient of this award. 

As a former colleague in Northfield Public Schools, I worked with Christie (and 

many other incredible art teachers) to deliver a comprehensive visual arts program. 

Throughout that time, Christie has proven herself to be extremely effective in 

curriculum development and delivery. Christie was a leader in multiple curriculum 

cycles, including having a marked influence on the current scope and sequence 

curriculum plan for K-12 visual art. In the classroom, Christie demonstrates a keen 

ability to develop each student, regardless of their exposure or experience in visual 

or media arts. Subsequently, each student improves their product, as well as their 

knowledge and appreciation of visual and media arts. Christie has developed an 

incredible media arts program, the first ever in Northfield High School history. She 

was able to leverage many opportunities to hone her abilities to teach film and 

cinema. Her classroom now boasts a digital cinema space in addition to a state of 

the art visual arts classroom suite at Northfield High School. I encourage your own 

visual arts team to tour this great space and learn how the incredible art teachers 

at Northfield High School have leveraged for this space and program. Additionally, 

Christie has been a leader in staff development and department expansion, securing 

many outside grants to provide students a relevant, 21st century experience. Outside 

the classroom, Christie has also proven herself as an accomplished professional 

artist in the area of ceramics. 

Christie’s contributions to the visual arts community is not confined to her classroom, 

rather her influence is felt statewide. In statewide professional development 

programming, she assisted in developing teacher efficacy in media arts education 

for our participating schools across the state. She is also a diligent developer of 

curricular content that addresses media arts, which many schools now emulate as 

an exemplary model. As the MN Visual & Media Arts Coordinator, I hired Christie 

as a Media Arts Instructor within the Adult Courses for Educators - Media Arts 

grant. This grant is a part of Perpich Center’s teacher professional development 

program in media arts. Christie is a competent, trustworthy, and strong collaborative 

presenter and facilitator of arts education for teachers, and grant recipients 

benefited greatly from her contributions. 

I am continually impressed with how Christie continues to shape the students with 

whom she works, while building a visual and media arts program that has become 

a model a statewide model. Christie has provided years of distinguished service 

in the classroom, region, and state. For this service, this honor is well deserved. 

Congratulations Christie and best wishes in the future! 

Minnesota is proud to present this caring professional, dedicated to her students 

and her vocation, as our Art Educator of the Year. Congratulations Christie Clarke! 

4 


AEM Art Exchange

PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

COMMITTEE 

Deb Hannu, Chair 

AEM’s Fall Conference 2013: Art + Environment 

November 8-9 in Duluth (see articles in this newsletter!) 

PRESENTER FORMS are available on the AEM website. Share a lesson, host a discussion – sign up now!! 

Sage Studios Classes / Spring/Summer 2013 

See ad this newsletter issue! 

AEM has long been known for it’s great annual Fall Conference! Starting now, with our new AEM structure, 

it’s my personal goal as PD Committee Chair to expand staff development opportunities – both large and 

small - around the state. 

Do you know of an arts event in your region that AEM could piggyback on 

Would you like to host a seminar at your school 

Is there an interesting museum, a great university program, or a “state treasure” artist in your area that 

could generate an AEM event 

Let us know. You can find us on the AEM webpage, or feel free to email me at: finnbee@charter.net 

AEM NEEDS YOU! 

To offer a session at Fall Conference! 

Share a favorite lesson – or DO one! Pick a one- or two-hour session and showcase work from your classroom. Generate a discussion – 

invite colleagues in for a discussion about a hot topic – from TAB to behavior management to teacher evaluation. Bring a colleague and 

make a team! Share a connection you’ve made, a cool project you’ve done with your students, or a great collaboration. 

Presenters are offered one $30 stipend per session hour, or a donation receipt if that amount is donated back to the organization. 

Submit your proposals now – online at www.aem-mn.org 



News from the 

Perpich Center 

Jeremy Holien 

State Visual and Media Arts 

Education Coordinator 

Perpich Center for Arts Education 

Greeting arts teachers! I am thrilled to announce 

many opportunities that will be available to you 

this coming summer at the Perpich Center for Arts 

Education. We are currently working out the details 

with some great art education leaders whom 

I intend to bring to Minnesota to spark and infuse 

arts education across the state. As I write 

this article, I am hopeful that we will have Jason 

Ohler speaking on media literacy and digital storytelling 

in mid-June only to be followed by Olivia 

Gude with her Spiral and Bricolage Curriculum 

Workshops. Both presenters will add to our ability 

to further develop learning opportunities for students 

in the 21st century. Details will be known 

and posted on these opportunities under the announcements 

page of my Google site here: https:// 

sites.google.com/a/pcae.k12.mn.us/minnesota-visual-and-media-arts-education/announcements 

or check 

out the shortened URL (if you are using using the 

printed newsletter copy): http://tiny.cc/yh6iuw 

For more on Jason Ohler: http://www.jasonohler. 

com/index.cfm 

For more on Olivia Gude: https://naea.digication. 

com/omg/Principles_of_Possibility 

In addition to these opportunities, please note 

the additional one-day workshops available on 

iPads in the art room and design thinking. In late 

June, I will be presenting workshops centered on 

how to integrate standards aligned curriculum with 

Understanding by Design (UbD) frameworks to be 

held in Rochester, MN. There are also many workshops 

and courses (for graduate credit or CEUs) 

that were birthed out of collaborations with the 

Perpich Center for Arts Education that center on 

STEAM and media arts. Please see the above Google 

site for these announcements as well. 

Perpich Grants for Educators - Media Arts Now Accepting 

Applications (formerly called ACE~Media 

Arts) 

I know you have been waiting. The Perpich Grants 

for Educators Media Arts program will be starting 

soon! We will be offering an in-depth media arts 

professional development experience throughout 

next year. This grant provides professional development 

in media arts education for K-12 educators. 

During this sophisticated yearlong program, school 

teams from across the state attend workshops at 

the Perpich Center for Arts Education and receive 

on-site consulting from experienced media arts 

educators. Participating schools also receive a 

grant to cover expenses associated with the program. 

Perpich Grants for Educators goals are to 

advance the teaching of media arts in Minnesota 

public schools (grades K-12) and to sustain media 

arts education as a part of the overall community 

of learning throughout the state. 

Applications for this grant will be made available 

in early April at this link: http://tiny.cc/ 

yh6iuw and directly at the Perpich Center website: 

http://www.pcae.k12.mn.us/pdr/pdr_news.html 

NAEA Conference Review and Resources 

I was fortunate to attend and present “Developing 

Your Own PLN for Media Arts Education” at the NAEA 

Conference in Fort Worth, TX. Mark your calendars 

for March 29-31, 2014 for the NAEA conference 

in San Diego, CA! I always thoroughly enjoy 

the professional networking, curricular ideation, 

and incredible energy within the world’s largest 

art education venue of NAEA. For details about my 

presentation and links to the supporting resources 

please check out this link: https://sites.google. 

com/a/pcae.k12.mn.us/ minnesota-visual-and-mediaarts-education/documents/developing-your-own-plnin-media-arts-naea-2013 

or this tiny URL version: 

http://tiny.cc/oe8iuw 

If you were not able to attend the conference this 

year, please feel free to browse the countless 

resources from many other sessions in addition to 

videos of the conference keynotes here: http:// 

www.arteducators.org/news/national-convention/national-convention 

Minnesota Arts Education Survey Update 

As you may know, the Perpich Center for Arts Education 

helped schools with data collection and 

analysis regarding current levels of arts educa- 

6 



tion in K-12 schools across Minnesota. Generally 

speaking, the results show that Minnesota 

has continued to be a leader in arts education, 

but at the same time one can learn more about 

the gaps and challenges that do occur across the 

arts education disciplines. This data creates a 

baseline for tracking and measuring progress. 

You can find all of the downloadable survey results 

at this link: http://www.pcae.k12.mn.us/ 

survey/legacy.html 

For details on the key findings of the survey 

please click on this link: http://www.pcae.k12. 

mn.us/survey/MN_report_2012_full_single.pdf 

For details regarding the state recommendations 

in response to the survey results click on this 

link: http://www.pcae.k12.mn.us/survey/MN_report_2012_rec_only.pdf 

The complete survey results, including the raw 

data for your particular schools and districts, 

will be made available in early 2013. Please be 

watching for the availability of this rich data 

which could potentially help shape the development 

of district initiatives in the arts. 

Visual & Media Arts Education Consulting 

Several schools, districts and colleges continue 

to request professional and technical assistance 

with professional and curriculum development, 

arts PLCs, assessment, arts integration, standards 

implementation and technology integration 

within the arts among other topics. We have 

developed some great tools to assist your school 

or personal development in these areas. Most of 

these curriculum and professional development 

resources can be found at this link: https:// 

sites.google.com/a/pcae.k12.mn.us/minnesotavisual-and-media-arts-education/ 

or by typing in 

this shortened URL: http://goo.gl/G2cm1 

2013 Youth 

Art Month 

Exhibition 

Under the leadership of AEM Youth Art Month Coordinator, Michael Kantor, the 

Youth Art Month Show had another great turnout on Sunday, March 24th in the 

Rotunda at the State Capitol. 80 works were submitted for the K-12 student art 

exhibition by AEM member art teachers from across the state of Minnesota. The 

talents of their students were very much in evidence throughout the show. 

The result of the judging of those works is as follows: 

Best in Show: Haley Christensen - Winona Senior High School 

1st Place High School: Alexis Hayes - Winona Senior High School 

1st Place Middle School: Abby Peddle - Cloquet Middle School 

1st Place Elementary School: Aria Hanson - Twin Lakes Elementary School 

Please let me know if there are any district or 

school based consulting needs in the areas of 

visual or media arts education. I am available 

for professional or curriculum development in 

each of these areas. Contact me at my new phone 

number 763-279-4185 or via email at jeremy.holien@pcae.k12.mn.us 

Thanks for your dedication in providing a dynamic 

art education to students across this state! 



the View 

from Delegates Assembly 

By Kris Holsen 

Deb Hannu and I were privileged to represent AEM 

at the 2013 Delegates Assembly the day before the 

NAEA conference in March. Delegates Assembly is 

a gathering of 1-2 representatives (depending on 

membership numbers) from each state in NAEA (plus 

representatives from special interest groups) that 

meets to share information and to put forth position 

statements on various issues that are of concern to 

our members. 

This year’s activities began with a Texas greeting with 

a group of rowdy costumed characters from a local 

theater. NAEA President Dr. Robert Sabol then spoke 

to the assembly. He shared his memories of Delegates 

assemblies past, and talked about the history of position 

statements coming through Delegates Assembly, a 

practice that started in New Orleans in 2008. Position 

statements are being created for the organization as 

advocacy resources. These statements provide both 

members and state leaders a way to reference and 

utilize the official position of NAEA on various issues 

of importance to art education. 

Dr. Deborah Reeve, NAEA’s Executive Director then 

spoke inspiringly to us about “What if NAEA did not 

exist” (See her remarks elsewhere in this newsletter!) 

We are so lucky to have Deborah – she is a consummate 

professional who cares deeply about our work 

and our people. 

We were then introduced to the position statements 

that were written for our review this year. These ideas 

came out of Regional meetings last summer, as well as 

continuing conversations from past years’ assemblies. 

There were 5 new statements for us to hear about, plus 

5 from past years that were brought back for review. 

In the afternoon we had poster sessions where all the 

new and old statements were posted for us to comment 

on and discuss. Deb and I took special interest 

in the statement on CTE, and drafted our own rewrite 

strengthening the language and adding some specifics. 

On Thursday morning the position statements were 

brought to us again with rewrites suggested by our 

work on Wednesday. The assembly then voted on 

each statement. 

These are the topics of the 10 statements that were 

brought before the Assembly this year. These will be 

posted on the NAEA website in their revised forms 

soon. 

• Arts Integration - passed (MN voted yes). 

• CTE statement - passed (Although we feel very 

strongly that this issue must be addressed, MN 

voted no. We wanted to see some changes in this 

statement, such as adding language to include arts 

standards, using the term “art” instead of “visual 

art” in order to include media arts, and restructuring 

the document to include less defensive language. 

The revised version presented to us on voting 

day was better, but still lacked what we felt were 

essential components. Deb and Kris submitted a 

rewrite addressing our concerns to Western Region 

Vice President Laura Milas on 3/6/13.) 

• Teacher Evaluation statement - passed (MN voted 

yes). 

• Student Assessment statement passed (MN voted 

yes). Kris re-sequenced the statement in discussion 

and that was mostly how it was reworded. It was 

nice to know our work made a difference! 

• Distance Learning - passed (MN voted yes). 

The past statements that were submitted for review 

were as follows: 

• 21st century skills - passed as is (MN voted yes). 

• Early Childhood Learning – passed (MN voted yes) 

with a few grammatical changes. 

• College and University Art Museums - passed as 

is (MN voted yes). 

• Race based mascots did NOT pass (MN voted no). 

It was sent back to the Board which may call for 

a rewrite. 

• Certified/Licensed Visual Art Educators in Pre-K 

through 12 School Settings - passed (MN voted yes). 

Other exciting news! The Delegates Assembly (including 

MN) voted to recommend the creation of a new 

Division of NAEA for Pre-Service teachers. Students 

– once the Board votes, you will be completely represented 

as an equal part of the organization. Student 

Chapters will continue to exist – more information 

soon on how that will work if the vote goes through. 

Student chapters already have a governance system 

in place which will help the transition. 

The Assembly also voted on some Constitutional/Bylaw 

changes which were needed to keep NAEA doing 

business properly under the laws of Washington DC. 

All in all, Delegates Assembly was a very exciting time. 

It is great to meet and greet people from all over the 

country who have the same challenges that AEM has 

– and to share ideas with the combined creativity and 

brainpower of a nation of art teachers. Leadership is 

exciting – and I hope more of our members will step 

up and join the fun! 

8 





Editor’sCorner 

with Kevan Nitzberg 

The College of Visual Arts 

in St. Paul will close its 

doors in June. 

This coming June art students in Minnesota 

(and elsewhere) will be losing a very 

important resource as the College of Visual 

Arts faces the end of its final semester. On 

a personal note I have enjoyed the many 

opportunities that I have had collaborating 

with the school on a number of various 

projects including the long running St. Paul 

Connections High School Art Class that they 

played host to for over 20 years, the summer 

Photomontage Class for art teachers 

that they facilitated, the 11 years of annual 

2nd tier exhibition of the Minnesota State 

High School Judge’s Choice Award winning 

artwork that they hung in their gallery, and 

last but not least, this year’s co-sponsored 

Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards Competition 

that was jointly sponsored by CVA and 

AEM. Equally if not more important were 

the successes that my former students had 

over the past 35+ years enjoyed as a result of 

attending this very special school as a result 

of both the school’s academic professionalism 

as well as the family atmosphere that 

they were so well known for. The College 

of Visual Art will not be easily replaced as 

the economics of the past several years are 

making small, personalized school learning 

environments harder and harder to sustain. 

The impact of that loss is something that is 

not only painful in the short term but bodes 

poorly for education for a long time to come. 

The following is a reprint of an online 

article that was originally published on January 

16th by MPR News detailing the closing: 

COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS IN ST. PAUL SUNK BY RECESSION 

by Marianne Combs, Minnesota Public Radio – January 16, 2013 

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The College of Visual Arts in St. Paul will close its doors in June. 

According to the school's administration, it was unable to weather the current economic 

crisis and continue to meet the financial and academic needs of its students. 

The College of Visual Arts' easy-to-miss offices are in a stately old home on Summit 

Avenue, and other buildings are sprinkled throughout the Ramsey Hill neighborhood. 

It's a four-year art and design school that offers Bachelors of Fine Arts degrees in fashion 

design, fine arts, graphic design, illustration, and photography. The college serves 170 

students and employs 29 full-time staff as well as 45 adjunct professors. 

College President Ann Ledy explains that while the school was founded back in 1924, 

it was only in 1996 that it became an accredited four-year institution and only in the fall of 

2011 that it became fully accredited as a school of art and design. 

"But it takes many, many years as a fully accredited four-year college to establish the 

deep roots that attract donors," said Ledy. 

10 



Declining Enrollment 

The college was pursuing a five-year plan to increase enrollment and thereby strengthen 

its financial base, and the accreditation was a key part of that plan. But instead of enrollment 

going up last year, it went down, and sharply. 

Director of Financial Aid David Woodward said this past fall the school took on 50 

first-year students, when it had hoped to have 80. 

"The economy has tanked since 2008 and many of the families that come to CVA are 

either in foreclosure of their home [or] they've lost jobs," Woodward said. "More and more 

I'm seeing families that are at their very wit's end in terms of their finances." 

Also, banks and other loan-granting institutions are now demanding parent co-signatures 

on student loans. And many parents are unwilling to take on the added risk. 

Classes will continue as planned this spring semester, and all promises of financial aid 

will be met through the end of the academic year. Vice President and General Counsel Sue 

Short said CVA has reached an agreement with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design 

to take those students who would be seniors next year. 

"If they're in good academic standing with CVA they will be accepted at MCAD," said 

Short. 

The remaining students will need to apply for a transfer, but MCAD will take their 

circumstances into strong consideration when weighing applications. Short said CVA plans 

to create a scholarship fund for its students transferring to MCAD to help them cover the 

higher tuition costs. 

Cva Not Alone In Struggling 

The College of Visual Arts is not alone in its declining enrollment — just last week 

Moody's Investors Service released a report that found nearly half schools surveyed expected 

enrollment declines for full-time students. MCAD President Jay Coogan acknowledges his 

school is also feeling the pinch. 

"We've made accommodations so that we are able to stay as strong as possible financially," 

said Coogan. "Of course, in education the scale of your institution makes a difference 

because you have to offer many of the same basic services that a larger institution does with 

a smaller financial base." 

MCAD currently serves 700 students, almost four times the CVA enrollment. MCAD 

also has a much larger endowment to help it get through tough times. Coogan stresses that 

colleges of art and design are incubators of creative talent that prove extremely valuable to 

businesses, and losing one of those incubators is a blow to the community. 

Joe Spencer, director of arts and culture for the city of Saint Paul, said it's no secret that 

times are tough for non-profits all across Minnesota. 

"We've seen other organizations like the Minnesota Museum of American Art or Penumbra 

Theatre that go through some struggles and fortunately those organizations most 

of them are able to take a step back and retool and come back," Spencer said. "But with the 

College of Visual Arts, an accredited college — they don't have the opportunity to step back 

and take a year off and retool." 

Spencer said the loss of the College of Visual Arts will be hard on the Ramsey Hill 

Neighborhood; many of the students live there, and frequent local businesses. 

President Ann Ledy said what made CVA vulnerable — its small size — was also what 

made it special. She said they really know all their students. 

"We were able to meet both their academic and other needs, because we really understood 

who they were and what was involved with being a college student," she said. 

When asked what the legacy of the College of Visual Arts will be, Ledy didn't hesitate 

in saying it's the students and their future contributions to the community, which she knows 

will be extraordinary. 

Art educators who retire during the 2012-2013 school year, retire next summer or retire prior to the 

upcoming Art Educators of Minnesota Fall Conference in November will be recognized for their 

dedication and years of service to the profession at the Retiree Recognition Event on November 8th 

and 9th during the AEM Fall Conference in Duluth, MN. Letters of information about the Retiree 

Recognition Event will be mailed to retirees whose names and addresses are submitted. 

If you or someone in your district is retiring please send the name, address and email to: 

retiree 

recognition 

Kris Holsen 

240 18th Ave S., South St. Paul, MN 55075 

kris.holsen@me.com 



Continuation of Online Links to 

Different Art History Periods 

Compiled by Kevan Nitzberg 

In the previous winter issue of the Art Exchange, links to the Late Antiquity and 

the Byzantine periods were posted as were links to art history sources dealing 

with the ancient world in the 2012 spring issue of the Art Exchange. The current 

issue continues to provide additional links to the Gothic period as we continue to 

explore a full range of online art history resources for art instructors. 

(Note that in the electronic version of the Art Exchange posted on the AEM web 

site the links are live) 

Abraham by Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni) 

(Italian, Florence () ca. 1370–1425 Florence ()) 

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Results from 

searching Gothic Art 

http://www.metmuseum.org/searchresultsft=gothic+art&x=0&y=0 

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (Metropolitan 

Museum of Art) 

http://www.metmuseum.org//toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot.htm 

Artists by Movement: 

Gothic Art 

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/gothic.html 

New York Carver: The Virtual 

Abbey – A Medieval Tour 

http://www.newyorkcarver.com/ 

Abbey.htm 

Illuminated manuscripts 

(11th-16th centuries) 

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html/html/zgothic/miniatur/index.html 

Materials and Techniques of 

Manuscript Production 

http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/frame3.html 

The Western (Royal) Portal at Chartres 

Cathedral (ca. 1145). 

Wikipedia – Gothic Art 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_art 

History of Gothic Architecture 

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-art/ 

history-of-gothic-architecture.htm 

Gothic Painting (1280- 

1515) 

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/tl/gothic/ 

Art History Resources 

http://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHgothic.html 

Laon Cathedral, 1160-1225 

A Digital Archive of Architecture – 

Gothic Architecture 

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/gothic_arch. 

html 

Chartres Cathedral, 1194-1250 

History of Gothic Architecture 

http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp./org/orion/eng/hst/gothic.html 

Les Tres Riches Heures Du Duc De Berry 

http://humanities.uchicago.edu/images/heures/heures.html 

Video Resources at the Khan Academy 

Birth of the Gothic: Abbot Suger and the Ambulatory 

at St. Denis 

Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres 

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history/arthistory-400-1300-medieval---byzantine-eras/gothic/v/birth-ofthe-gothic--abbot-suger-and-the-ambulatory-in-the-basilicaof-st--denis--1140-44#! 

http://www.artbabble.org/video/smarthistory/part-1-cathedral-notre-dame-de-chartres-c1145-and-1194-c1220 

12 





2013 

This year’s Scholastic Art Awards was jointly 

run by the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul 

and Art Educators of Minnesota. A committee 

was comprised of Demeri Mullikan and 

Minnesota Scholastic 

Art Awards 

Elyan Paz from the College of Visual Arts 

along with Diane Scully, Rick Mittelstadt and 

I representing AEM. Months of deliberations 

and strategy sessions were involved in 

moving the event from its former home at 

the Mpls. College of Art and Design where 

it had been held for many years, to its being 

able to take place at CVA this past February 

– March. As a result of all of those efforts, 

this year’s event was a tremendous success. 

There were over 1900 works of art submitted 

to this year’s competition which was a 

startling 500 more than were entered last 

year. The exhibition of artwork was on display 

at the College of Visual Arts Gallery in 

St. Paul throughout the month of February. 

Due to the numbers of works submitted and 

the space limitations of the gallery, only the 

Gold Key Award winning works were able 

to be physically displayed, with the Silver 

Key and Honorable Mention Award winners 

digitally displayed on 2 separate computer 

monitors. Students whose work was submitted 

but did not receive an award from 

Scholastic received Achievement Certificates 

in recognition of the level of work that they 

had put into their creations. 

The Gold Key Award Celebration took place 

at the Minnesota Historical Society Museum 

at which Sheila Smith, Executive Director of 

the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, gave 

the keynote address. Due to the College 

of Visual Art’s having to close in June, we 

will be looking for a new site for the 2014 

MSAA event. 

14 



Minnesota ScholasticGold Key Award winners

a sampling of the 

2013 

Minnesota Scholastic 

Gold Key Award 

winners

Minnesota 2012-13 National Awards 

FirstName LastName SchoolName Teacher1First Teacher1Last Barcode WorkType WorkCategory WorkTitle Awards 

Mackenzie Alexander Benilde-St. Margaret's School Kristi Main 10892290 Art Drawing Water Droplet Silver Medal 

Francesca Peck Benilde-St. Margaret's School Christine Kinney 10929708 Art Photography Onlooker Silver Medal 

Teresa Mahnke Forest Lake Senior High School Bruce Leventhal 10967857 Art Photography Hand Silver Medal 

Sanela Karic Fridley Middle School Bill Bogle 10977008 Art Photography Copyright Gold Medal 

Robin Hart Fridley Senior High School Cheryl Burghardt 10980972 Art Photography Follow Me Silver Medal 

Emily Nord Holy Family Catholic High School Bradford Perrin-Smith10947676 Art Photography Glass Shadow Silver Medal 

Isabel Schroeder Home School Lauren Herzak-Bauman 10985412 Art Portfolio Silver Medal 

Claire Hoober Hopkins Senior High School Randi Rood 10957620 Art Painting Crashing Waves Silver Medal 

Michael Semahge Hopkins Senior High School Randi Rood 10969504 Art Drawing 5 O'clock Shadow Gold Medal 

Victoria Niu Minnetonka Senior High School Melanie Mozingo 10981498 Art Painting After Rain Gold Medal 

Victoria Williams Minnetonka Senior High School Steve Nugent 10956779 Art Drawing Eye Gold Medal 

Sharaya Schwardt Minnewaska Secondary Marit Salveson 10978727 Art Painting Self Portrait Gold Medal 

Sharaya Schwardt Minnewaska Secondary Marit Salveson 10978820 Art Painting Scared Pain American Visions Medal, G 

Sierra Bieniek North Senior High School Brian Reda 10976544 Art Photography Self Portrait Triptych Silver Medal 

Markaus Smith North Senior High School Brian Reda 10976570 Art Photography Pious Silver Medal 

Eliza Lynard Perpich Center for Arts Education Nancy Bundy 10918226 Art Photography Hold On Gold Medal 

Eliza Lynard Perpich Center for Arts Education Nancy Bundy 10918260 Art Photography It's A Girl! Silver Medal 

Leyla Margolis-Brooks Perpich Center for Arts Education Karen Monson 10937297 Art Painting Self Portrait Silver Medal 

Elizabeth Walcher Providence Academy ChristopherSanter 10977879 Art Digital Art Roots Silver Medal 

Marissa Nicol Southwest Senior High School Cecily Spano 10950295 Art Portfolio Silver Medal 

Katie Scott St. Michael-Albertville High School Kari Halker-Saathoff 10868798 Art Photography Girl And Gas Silver Medal 

Wesley Van't Hull St. Michael-Albertville High School Kari Halker-Saathoff 10964913 Art Drawing Empty Silver Medal 

Cortney Woodis St. Michael-Albertville High School Reid Thorpe 10954926 Art Drawing Mexican Madness Gold Medal 

William Brower St. Paul Academy - Summit Linda Brooks 10935754 Art Photography Adam Sleeping Silver Medal 

Harrison Heinks Valley View Middle School Jessica Lynch 10904739 Art Ceramics & Glass The Homeless Shoes Gold Medal 

Emily Abe Wayzata High School Lea Anne Jasper 10923776 Art Digital Art Guardian Silver Medal 

Margaret Anderson Wayzata High School Jennifer Reiss 10869869 Art Drawing Noise Silver Medal 

Bella Roussanov Wayzata High School Jennifer Reiss 10869871 Art Drawing Grandfather Gold Medal 

Kayla Doherty Woodbury Senior High School Karen Seashore 10971274 Art Ceramics & Glass An Egg Silver Medal 

Minnesota State Arts Board Looking for 

Qualified Grant Application Review Panelists 

You are a lifelong learner and passionate about the arts in Minnesota. 

You actively take part in your communities through your involvement 

in arts education. 

Are you curious about the exciting and innovative arts learning projects 

that Minnesota schools and organizations have been devising 

Are you energized by meeting and working with other arts educators 

and arts professionals Are you willing to volunteer two days this 

summer to serve the State of Minnesota on an Arts Learning grant 

application review panel 

Grant application review panelists are needed to review applications 

for the Arts Board’s Arts Learning grant program. There are 6 

two-day panels from which to choose: 

• July 16-17 

• July 23-24 

• July 30-31 

• August 7-8 



The Arts Learning grant program offers funding for projects to help 

lifelong learners acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills 

in the arts. Individual or organization applicants propose projects 

that provide participatory learning and engage learners with skilled 

teaching artists and high quality artistic experiences. 

Through your service as a panelist, you will know more about and 

have a voice in what your taxes are funding, gain a better understanding 

of arts learning opportunities and projects throughout the 

state of Minnesota, and network with other artists and educators 

with similar interests and passions. 

What other grant application review panelists have said about their 

panel experience: 

I appreciated being able to support the arts in our state. I learned about 

writing grant applications and possible funding opportunities for my 

community. 

It was a lot of work but I really appreciated the opportunity to meet such 

creative and intelligent people and to participate and serve. I was pleased 

that my district gave me professional development credit for my service time. 

The Arts Board encourages residents of greater Minnesota to participate, 

and will make lodging reservations and cover these costs. The 

Arts Board offers expense reimbursement for mileage and parking 

for all panelists. 

To discuss this volunteer opportunity, contact Jan Nelson, Advisory 

Panel Coordinator at (651) 215-1608 and (800) 866-2787, or email at 

jan.l.nelson@arts.state.mn.us. Visit www.arts.state.mn.us to learn 

more about Arts Learning and other grant opportunities offered by 

the Minnesota State Arts Board. 



2013 aem fall conference Update 

art 

ENVIRONMENT 

> 

> 

> 

Dates 

November 8-9, 2013 

LOCATION 

Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) 

Duluth, MN 

Lodging 

(A short walk from the DECC over the MN Slip Bridge) 

The Inn On Lake Superior 

350 Canal Park Drive 

Duluth, MN 55802 

888-668-4352 

218-727-3976 

$96.00/rate for Thursday night, November 7, Friday 

night, November 8. The hotel will maintain the rate 

for Saturday night, November 9, for conference participants 

who wish to spend an extra night in Duluth. 

Minnesotans know – Duluth is a lovely place, even in November! 

Our AEM Fall Conference 2013 will take place at the Duluth 

Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), with The Inn On Lake 

Superior as our conference hotel. The amazing room rate for this 

great property is good for the nights of November 7th and 8th 

and the Inn will hold this rate for you for the evening of the 9th as 

well, should you wish to make your Fall Conference time a mini 

vacation for yourself and/or family. (The Inn will hold the rate 

until October 7 – make your reservation before then!) 

With Duluth’s location on 10% of the WORLD’s fresh water, Art 

+ Environment seemed the perfect theme for our annual event. 

Sessions and keynotes, including Duluth’s own Cheng Khee Chee 

(http://www.chengkheechee.com), will work off of the theme 

in a variety of ways. As usual, we will offer a variety of sessions 

and presenters, to try to meet the staff development needs of 

visual and media art teachers around the state. You can even meet 

relicensure components over the course of the two days, as well 

as enjoy networking time with your colleagues. 

Reservations may be made online: 

www.theinnonlakesuperior.com > Reservations > Groups 

Group ID # 4858 

PW: 37000033 

The hotel will hold the rate until October 7, 2013. 

New this fall is a two-day pricing structure for your convenience: 

buy in for Friday, for Saturday, or for both days. We want to make 

your best professional development offering of the year work 

best for your schedule! A new vendor structure, for both days, 

also enables you to see new products and visit with your favorite 

art education companies on either day. And of course, your colleagues 

from all over Minnesota will join forces with Northwestern 

Wisconsin art educators to make for an amazing event. 

See you on the North Coast in November! 

see you in Duluth! 

20 



How an AEM Conference Workshop 

Influenced a Project in My School By Laura Anton 

A few years ago I went to a presentation at the 

2010 AEM conference in Rochester given by Shaye 

Moris, the Executive Director Second Harvest Northern 

Lakes Food Bank in Duluth. She presented on how Duluth 

started, implemented, and maintained an annual 

Empty Bowls event. I know a lot of communities hold 

these dinners, but I had not been to one and the idea 

intrigued me. Skip ahead a year to 2011, a colleague 

and I decided that our school should organize an 

Empty Bowls event to raise money for the local food 

shelf serving our school district. 

Our approach was a bit different from many 

other Empty Bowl projects; we wanted students to 

do the organizing and implementing of the project, 

a service-learning project. My colleague, Amy France 

(English Teacher), wrote and received a grant form 

an organization called Youth Service America which 

allowed us to purchase clay, glazes, pay for a field trip 

to Feed My Starving Children, and some miscellaneous 

expenses needed for marketing. It also paid for the 

two of us to go to a service learning conference in 

Philadelphia. Research has shown that students who 

are involved with quality service learning in their 

schools become more engaged in other aspects of 

their education. 

So, first a little bit of information about my 

school; I teach art at an Area Learning Center. All 

students who attend the school are admitted because 

they are “at risk” for not graduating on time with their 

class for reasons varying from school anxiety, truancy, 

teen parenting, moving often, etc. About 60% of our 

students receive free and reduced lunch. We are a 

small school with approximately 150 high school 

students and 40 junior high students. Luckily for me, 

the administration believes art is important for at risk 

learners, so I am employed full time in this small school. 

Class sizes are also small -15 to 20 students per class. 

A unique aspect of our school is that we are located 

in a building that houses many programs, including a 

small elementary Montessori program. 

My part of the project was to manage bowl 

making that was needed for the Empty Bowls fund 

raising dinner. My ALC students all had the opportunity 

to create bowls, but they also assisted in teaching the 

elementary students to make bowls. The following programs 

created bowls for the project: Forest Lake ALC 

(9-12), the junior high alternative program, STRIVE 

(6-8), STEP (Student Transition Educational Program), 

and Central Montessori Elementary (K-6). 

Amy focused on the writing and research aspect 

involved with the project. She had students research and 

investigate local hunger issues and homelessness. She 

then had students create informational posters about 

hunger and homelessness to display them throughout 

the building. She also led the students in planning the 

Empty Bowls dinner. Students had to collaborate with 

partners about needs, timelines, advocacy and marketing 

for the event. Her students wrote letters and a script 

for phone calls to local restaurants and businesses in 

the community for donations and volunteers. 

The end result of the students’ hard work was a 

successful, first annual, Empty Bowls Community Dinner 

which students had organized and implemented, 

all while having a lot of fun. 

Our second annual Empty Bowls Community Dinner 

is just a month away. This year we did not receive 

the same grant; we did however get a smaller grant 

that allowed us to purchase clay and glazes. With all 

of the groundwork from last year, things are running 

smoothly. We have a few new partners and hope to 

create more awareness while raising even more money 

than last year. Students who were involved last year 

are excited about the event, which in turn is getting 

other students excited. 



AEM Council Roster 

Due to the structural transition that is taking 

place in the AEM Council, the Council Roster 

has been significantly altered. Represented 

here are the members of the newly organized 

Executive Board that is made up of the 

President, the President Elect and the 

Chairs of the 6 Committees. 

President 

Kris Holsen 

240 18th Ave. S. 

South St. Paul, MN 55075 

763-360-6113 


Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts 

holsenk@district279.org 

President Elect 

OPEN 

Finance Committee 

Rick Mittelstadt 

6500 Casey Pkwy. 

Prior Lake, MN 55372 

651-639-6106 ext. 2378 

651-423-7511 (fax) 

mittelrl@gmail.com 

Member Services Committee 

OPEN 

Advocacy / PR Committee 

Jo-Anne Kirkman 

Orono School District 

jkirkman@orono.k12.mn.us 

Communications Committee 

Kris Holsen 

240 18th Ave. S. 

South St. Paul, MN. 55075 

763-360-6113 


Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts 

holsenk@district279.org 

Kevan Nitzberg 

Anoka High School 

3939 7th Ave. N. 

Anoka, MN 55303 

763-506-6431 

knitzberg333@embarqmail.com 

Professional Development 

Committee 

Jeremy Holien 

Visual & Media Arts Education Coordinator 

Professional Development and Research 

Perpich Center for Arts Education 

6125 Olson Memorial Hwy. 

Golden Valley, MN 55422 

763-591-4776 

Jeremy.holien@pcae.k12.mn.us 

Dr. Alison Aune 

University of Minnesota–Duluth 

218-726-6216 

aaune@d.umn.edu 

Council Services Committee 

Debra Hannu 

822 9th St. 

Duluth, MN 55805 

218-724-2973 

finnbee@charter.net 

22 




Art Exchange Newsletter Advertisement Rates 

2012-2013 

SIZE FALL WINTER SPRING 3 ISSUE RATE 

2.25 X 3.O SINGLE COLUMN $60 $60 $60 $165 

4.50 X 3.0 DOUBLE CLOUMN $85 $85 $85 $240 

4.0 X 5.0 QUARTER PAGE $110 $110 $110 $305 

4.0 X 10.0 HALF PAGE $165 $165 $165 $480 

8.0 X 5.0 HALF PAGE $165 $165 $165 $480 

8.0 X 10.0 FULL PAGE $225 $225 $225 $660 

Check below above for issues you wish to advertise in. 

Refer to chart above and write in below the size and cost for each issue: 

Fall: ____/_____ Winter: ___/____ Spring: ___/____ All: ___/____ 

Submit all artwork and ad copy to: Kevan Nitzberg, Art Exchange Editor 

knitzberg333@embarqmail.com 

Online link to commercial vendor site on AEM web site (http://www.aem-mn.org) 

Annual Fee: $200 (check box) 

URL Address: ________________________________________________ 

*********************************************************** 

Make Checks Payable to AEM Total Amount Submitted: $ ________ 

Company Name: ___________________________________ 

Contact Person: _________________________ email: _______________________ 

Street Address: __________________________________________ 

City, State, Zip Code: __________________________________________________ 

Submit payment to: 

Richard Mittelstadt 

AEM Finance Committee Chair 

6500 Casey Pkwy 

Prior Lake, MN. 55372 

651-639-6106 ext. 2378 

mittelrl@gmail.com 


Please Note Submission Deadlines: 

Fall Issue: July 15 th 

Winter Issue: December 15 th 

Spring Issue: March 15 th 

----------- 

Vendor Link: annual fee applied to 

date 

link is activated 


Dr. Deborah B Reeve 

Remarks to 2013 Delegates Assembly 

Fort Worth, Texas 

Good morning. What a special time each year when we gather during this Delegates Assembly. This 

year -‐ and every year – I keep coming back to what makes NAEA such a vibrant professional community. 

I often think about the idea of talent -‐ its role in building the creative economy; the challenge and the 

responsibility it places on each of us as art educators; and the many support mechanisms NAEA provides 

to help you and all of our leaders and members put your talents to work for your students, your schools 

and your state and national professional communities. And NAEA has talented leaders elected by 

members – those who serve on the national Board of Directors as Officers, division Directors and 

Regional Vice Presidents and the elects to these positions; regional directors and state association 

leaders; Issues Group leaders; and those who serve as Task Force and Committee Chairs; student leaders 

of the Student Chapter and the school based student leaders of the National Art Honor Societies. 

That’s a lot of talent – and my job as your Executive Director – it’s likened to that of an air traffic 

controller; we have many pilots flying a lot of planes with may intended destinations taking NAEA to 

new heights. It’s my job to keep the planes flying by supporting the pilots and ensuring safe takeoffs and 

landings. 

Do you know that the original meaning of the word “talent” referred to an ancient unit of money and 

morphed into a term for unit of measure Eventually, talent came to describe not your personal wealth 

but the gifts with which you were born. When it came to talent, you either had it, or you didn’t. 

This is not to say that talent is all about aptitude or whether you are left-‐brained or right-‐brained. 

Surely, hard work, discipline, positive reinforcement, creative pedagogy, training and many other factors 

play an important role in determining your ultimate success. 

But all humans are born with innate curiosity and ability, whether an aptitude for science, math, 

technology, or the arts – or even for leadership. We all begin with an added possibility…the spark of 

potential for a natural proclivity -‐ a small but distinct advantage in modern life. Obviously, it is up to 

every individual to decide how to make the most of it. 

There is, however, an old adage that says to those whom much talent is given, much is expected in 

return. Implicit in our societal DNA is the expectation that talent should be used, not squandered, and 

24 



that those who use their talents to strengthen our nation’s economic, social and cultural fabric are 

society’s leaders. 

And for art educators, I believe a blanket of talent-‐driven leadership falls squarely on our shoulders. 

Think for a moment about how you came into art education. Was it through your interest as in art 

perhaps as an artist Or through a call to teaching or interest in art history Perhaps as a curator or 

maybe your interest in sociology and research Whatever it was, whatever your particular spark may 

have been – you embrace artistic literacy. 

You know and understand its critical role in helping society tell its story, and how art helps students find 

their places within a larger social context. 

You know and understand that as art educators, we work with powerful tools—tools that can shape and 

influence our students for years to come-‐-‐and that we accept the opportunity and the responsibility to 

use them wisely. 

So what does it mean to lead, rather than follow To be passionately engaged rather than passively 

resigned To seek change through actions rather than through words or wishes alone We know art 

matters and we know why it matters so much. But as leaders – how do we tell this all-‐important story of 

why art matters 

Let’s go back for a moment to the original meaning of the word talent. How much is artistic talent 

worth to the U.S. economy Painters, printmakers, sculptors, photographers, folk artists; museum 

curators and art historians; graphic, animation and multi-‐media communications designers; architects, 

environmental and industrial designers; and, of course, art educators. For starters, it’s worth plenty of 

jobs. 1.2 million Americans work in the creative arts. About three million people work in arts-‐centric 

businesses. 1 And the number of jobs is growing, expected to increase over 40 percent by 2016. 2 

That translates to plenty of paychecks. In the first quarter of 2006, the most recent year that data are 

available, nationwide wages in the creative arts hit $16.2 billion. 3 The creative industries are also a 

major contributor to the nation’s balance of trade, exporting products and services valued at $30 billion 

annually. The World Intellectual Property Organization estimated that the copyright industries 

represent 12 percent of U.S. GDP and 8.4 percent of the nation’s workforce. 4 

Creative people tend to cluster in large cities, building an environment that encourages and supports 

innovation and experimentation, but also jobs and businesses. New York and Los Angeles are the two 

leading examples of this phenomenon, but there are many others including Austin, Fort Worth, 

Minneapolis, Seattle, Baltimore and elsewhere – incidentally it’s no surprise that we’ve been introducing 

these cities as convention venues. This creative clustering creates a near magnetic pull, drawing 

investment, business, jobs, schools and families to a geographic area. 

1 http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2007/10/art3full.pdf 

2 NAEA data sheet 

3 http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2007/10/art3full.pdf 

4 http://www.oecd.org/site/worldforum06/38703999.pdf 



And localities renew themselves by nurturing the arts, deploying talent through works. There are many 

examples where communities across the country are making the connection between arts and industry 

– between the creative mind and the creative economy. The National Endowment for the Arts 

introduced it Creative Placemaking initiative that supports such community action. 

And certainly study after study builds the case between arts education and improved academics 

outcomes overall. We need students to stay in school to graduation, and we need graduates prepared to 

take on the challenges and opportunities of a globally competitive workforce. 

The good news is that the Department of Education recently announced that high school graduation is 

expected to reach 78 percent, a level not seen since 1974. The news is something of a double-‐edged 

sword because dropout rates tend to go down when unemployment rates go up. Whether the 

graduation rate will decline as the economy improves remains to be seen, but I think you will agree with 

me that over one million students dropping out of high school on an annual basis is still too devastating 

a loss for our country to accept in a passive way. 5 

The Alliance for Educational Excellence estimates that had they graduated, these former students would 

have earned an additional $337 million during their working lives. Over ten years, the lost wages 

represented by high school dropouts rises to $3 trillion. And of course failure to graduate has other 

negative consequences, from broken homes to unhealthy lifestyles. 6 

Do the stakeholders in the extended arts community—arts patrons, civic leaders, economic developers, 

suppliers, elected officials, other educators, school administrators, clergy, parents, and other 

voters/taxpayers – do they make the connection between the need for strong inputs to generate strong 

outputs Is art education championed as the predicate for success in either the creative economy or the 

creative workforce 

Not really – not nearly to the extent that we would all like to see. The MetLife Survey of the American 

Teacher last year found one-‐third of teachers reporting cuts or eliminations of art programs, and schools 

with the highest proportions of minority students are likely to see the most such cuts. 7 

Reversing a 50-‐year trend, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities suggested that 

less than half of adults report having participated in arts classes or programs while in school. The 

Committee points to another study that shows arts education instruction time has decreased 30 percent 

across school districts. 8 

And the Campaign for America’s Future, along with the National Education Association, say education 

funding cuts are leading to “an end to art, music and physical education, and other subjects considered 

to be part of a well-‐rounded education.” 

5 Lyndsey Layton, “Graduation rate for high school students hits highest level in almost four decades,” Washington 

Post, January 22, 2013 

6 http://www.all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/impact 

7 http://www.arteducators.org/news/naea-‐news-‐members/54-‐4-‐_NAEA_News_October2012.pdf 

8 http://www.pcah.gov/sites/default/files/PCAH_Reinvesting_4web_0.pdf 

26 



So we art educators have a paradox. Economists and workforce specialists tell us that if America is to 

lead, it must play a leadership role in shaping the creative economy, both here and around the globe. 

And there is good evidence to suggest that some art educators and supporters at the local level are 

taking this ball and running with it. Yet at the policy level, where budgets are tight and competing 

priorities many, public education generally and art education specifically are targeted for cuts. 

And here is where I say in light of this paradox… 

To those to whom many talents are given, much is expected in return. And yes – I am speaking to each 

one of us in this room today. You are here not by accident nor coincidence. Your leadership of NAEA 

speaks volumes about your commitment to our profession and its ability to change lives for the better. 

But now we need to speak up for our community in an even louder voice. We are the champions. But 

we must be champions in both word and deed. And that is why NAEA exists -‐ to provide the platforms, 

programs and initiatives necessary for you to exercise your leadership effectively. Let me highlight just a 

few: 

We must Advocate. ESEA is yet to be reauthorized and for the first time in history, every education and 

training bill is up for reauthorization. Major issues on the forefront include standards and assessment, 

early childhood, school choice, extended learning time, and teacher effectiveness. NAEA brings the 

voice of all art educators to these all-‐important conversations influencing policy and planning. 

What if NAEA didn’t exist 

We must Network. You have created dynamic networks throughout your communities, states and 

regions! NAEA officers and I have directly experienced the energy and momentum through our 

participation in 33 state conferences over the past few years and we have a goal of participating in every 

state association conference. And seeds have been planted through the NAEA international study 

delegations to Cuba, India and this fall to Burma building professional ties around the world. And art 

educators here in Fort Worth from every state in these United States and from countries representing 

every corner of the globe: Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Iceland, 

Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Taiwan and Turkey. Yes – a 

vibrant networked community. 


We must embrace the notion of a learning organization. Not only does this annual convention – the 

largest professional development experience in the world exclusively for art educators – provide 

exemplary opportunities for learning but other professional development and virtual communities of 

practice are growing. SummerVision and the Instructional Resources Gallery are focused on the 

symbiotic relationship between personal creative practice and professional practice. And new 

opportunities for teachers to develop their research skills by participating in the work of the NAEA 

Research Commission to shape the data foundations of our profession and inform public policy. And we 



must continue to assess our governing systems and structures to ensure effectiveness in advancing our 

mission. 


We must Collaborate. State associations and NAEA must work together smartly and efficiently. 

Leadership Link and the State Association Partnership program help to create and implement strategies 

that develop and support NAEA state leaders and strengthen state associations. And among the 

founding leaders of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards – NAEA ensures that art educators are 

bringing their knowledge and expertise to the development of the next generation of core art standards 

that will impact teaching and learning across the entire field of education. 


We must contribute. NAEA goals and priorities are set forth in the 2011-‐2014 Strategic Plan; it calls for 

the establishment of an NAEA Research Commission; release of the next generation of visual arts 

standards and implications for professional development; a national leadership development program 

for art educator leaders and emerging leaders; and a Creative Industries Conference for the more than 

47,000 National Art Honor Society students and their advisers. Members creating the vision and 

achieving the goals. 


We must reach out. And now we must make an even more deliberate effort -‐ we need members 

speaking up about the many benefits of NAEA membership with their colleagues. And we plan to help 

you. Building on the progress of our growing membership, NAEA will conduct a needs assessment 

among members and non-‐members alike. Findings will be presented to the Board in July and used to 

assess the value of programs and services and identify new initiatives that warrant exploration. And it’s 

time to speak up at faculty meetings, school board meetings, PTA meetings; to meet with state and 

national elected officials – to tell the story of why art matters; and NAEA has developed resources to 

support your efforts. 


We must engage. We are expanding connections offered through social media and digital formats for 

Art Ed and Studies and for NAEA published books. Traffic on the website is up significantly while 

member-‐to-‐member contacts through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest continue to grow. And 

we must actively pass the torch to the next generation – to those who are leading the Student Chapter 

of pre-‐service art educators. Our Board of Directors has taken action to recognize the Student Chapter 

President as an ex-‐officio member of the Board while exploring the establishment of a Pre-‐service 

membership division. 


28 



The really good news is that working together NAEA leaders, staff and members are producing 

impressive results. Thirty-‐one states have increased membership this fiscal year. We are using 

innovative technology to make member engagement more efficient and effective. Our National 

Convention App was downloaded over 7,000 times and used for many reasons, not the least of which 

was to check schedules over 100,000 times. 

During FY 2012, arteducators.org received almost one million site visits and supported five million page 

views. 

Our flagship journals, Art Ed and Studies, Learning in a Visual Age and the supporting white papers along 

with web-‐based resources including the Monthly Mentor blog are all reaching across our community 

and extending the work of art education thought leaders beyond our own community informing others 

and offering professional exchange and best practice development. 

The next generation of visual arts standards will impact teaching and learning while strengthening the 

position of visual arts among the Common Core. And the Instructional Resources Gallery will be 

realigned to support professional development. 

We are also lighting the way into arts, arts education, and the creative economy for the younger 

generation. The National Art Honor Society has not only been the beacon, but has added to its 

numbers—to over 47,000 students and growing by over 20 percent in the last four years. 

In Washington, D.C. and in state capitals across the nation, NAEA is the voice of visual arts educators. 

Our digital advocacy publications have reached an initial audience of 60,000 and spread virally from 

there. Cooperative partnerships with more than thirty national organizations help assure that our own 

organization remains a vibrant and visible leader not just on Capitol Hill but also in the larger arts and 

education community. 

What I’ve highlighted indicates the power – the wattage – of a talented and vibrant professional 

community. Without NAEA, there would be no structure to hold the space and create the many venues 

for advancing our mission. It was our predecessors who made the decision in 1947 to bring four regional 

art education organizations together as one NAEA with the belief that the collective vision and goals of 

art educators could be better realized. 

And this morning, I ask you: With so many channels to engage and so many examples that engagement 

leads to accomplishment, how will you use your special talents to help more students develop theirs 

How will you help NAEA advance art education, our profession and leadership 

How will you make an even greater difference in your school and community 

How will you help build the creative economy and creative workforce 

These are our common challenges as artists and educators Our supporters know that the arts matter. 

But they don’t know why the arts matter so much for our students and for our nation’s future. 



And through our deeds…through our works…through pilots and prototypes and programs that foster 

academic success…through our passionate engagement as arts education professionals …now is the 

time for us to show them too. 

NAEA’s mission is to advance visual arts education to fulfill human potential and promote global 

understanding. This is our time as leaders of NAEA – our time to shape the vision that will evolve visual 

arts Triarco education Arts & in this Crafts era and set the course for the 21 st century. In the words of writer/thought leader, 

Margaret Art Educators Wheatley, of Minnesota “…we can be wise only together.” 

Spring 2013 

The AEM1304T visual arts are all about perspective and nuance – and in a world that is increasingly polarized, with 

more and more people inclined to see issues as black and white, it is imperative that we raise future 

generations to be able to see the many shades of grey. You are indispensable to accomplishing this lofty 

and critical goal. 

Thank you for all you’ve done and also for all you will do that inspires me and our talented and mighty 

NAEA staff of twelve. I am grateful for the honor and privilege of working with each one of you to secure 

a bright future for our nation’s children and youth. 

Thank you. 

AEM1304T 

30 






Kevan Nitzberg 

21325 County Road 117 

Rogers, MN 55374 

Non-Profint Org. 

U.S. Postage 

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Minneapolis, MN 

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