PDF File - Art Educators of Minnesota

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
www.aem-mn.org
AEM Art Exchange