By Design Spring 2024

About Us

The North Carolina Art Education Association (NCAEA) is an active advocate for promoting visual arts education in K-12 public and private schools, higher education, museums, arts centers, and arts councils across the state. It is affiliated with the National Art Education Association.

OUR MISSION

To promote and improve the quality of visual arts education in the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina Art Education Association will focus on three broad categories to accomplish its goals: leadership, service, and advocacy.

www.ncaea.org

ON THE COVER

After the Chaos

By Sydney Mitchall (12th Grade)

Digital 8.5" x 11"

Teacher: Melissa Poppe, Green Hope High School

And Happy New Year to you all. I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself I’m Whitney Hern, of Chadbourn, N.C. I am the wife of a law enforcement officer and veteran. Together we created, and are attempting to raise, twin boys who are eleven. Clay and Morgan are outside boys and a joy to watch grow up. (I won’t get into the random animals in pockets, and rocks in my dryer.) We take opportunities to travel and spend time outdoors together Animals are also a big part of our lives, helping to teach us all discipline and to appreciate every blessing we have. I’m thankful for the support my family has given me to pursue this new responsibility The opportunity to serve the art teachers of North Carolina is not one I take lightly, and am striving

LEADERSHIP LENS

WHITNEY HERN PRESIDENT

to knock this one “out of the park”!

For the past 8 years, I’ve served on the Board of the NCAEA in some capacity. First as a region coordinator, then as the elementary division chair, and most recently as president-elect Into my first month as president, I’m getting my footing. Our new past president, Melissa Poppe, has served us well over the last few years. She stepped in when we were short-handed and took every challenge in her stride. She managed the day-to-day needs of the association and planned two conferences, all with grace and professionalism. She is truly a superhero who wears her cape as a paint-ridden apron in a high school classroom.

As the new kid in town, I bring to the table experience in managing committees of adults, planning events, improving by-laws and policies, and leading with a servant’s heart. Over the next two

years of this term, I hope to maintain the headway established by my predecessors while striving for further improvement. The NCAEA is a mighty group of individuals, but we now find ourselves hit hard by the impact of COVID-19 and the rising costs of operating to serve the members we are here for. I hope that we as an association will work together to embrace our differences, lean on our strengths, and continue to do what art teachers are known for: making something extraordinary out of very little.

When you reflect on your work from the last year, are you satisfied? Did you push yourself or just stay afloat? Either answer is a good one. Some seasons are made for survival and some for growth I hope that you will find yourself and this association in a season of growth as we move forward into the new year.

With warm regards,

Whitney Hern

Happy February, everyone!

A huge thank you to the NCAEA board for their hard work at the fall conference as well as their support in the past two years while I was president. I look forward to stepping solely into the Past President's shoes. The board demonstrated so much strength and support while I was juggling two positions and I cannot say thank you enough to all of them and the NCAEA members.

I am ecstatic about this year’s conference in Asheville, November 14-17 at the Crowne Plaza. We are planning many wonderful things and posting as much information as we can so you are up to date in locations, guest speakers, and presentations/workshops. Cassie Stephens is our Guest Speaker for Saturday night. She is leading two 3 hr workshops! One on Friday and another on Saturday. Melody Weintraub is opening the conference on Friday morning. She is a wonderful advocate and former Tennessee President of their art education association as well as many other titles. Linda Royal will talk about the Minnie Evans documentary. Have you seen the preview yet? It is amazing. I cannot wait to hear more about the process and learn more about Minnie Evans. Please contact me if you ever have any questions about the conference. As I said as the president, share your voice This doesn’t stop as I transition into

the Past President position. Always happy to help. Please make sure to keep an eye on the NCAEA website, Drip, social media, and By Design for the most updated information.

A huge shout out to our NCAEA board for their advocating and shining the light. In January, we met and planned the year as well as listened to your voice from the conference survey in planning this year’s conference. We swore in new members who are ready to take the lead and continue advocating for arts education in North Carolina One way to do this is participation in Youth Art Month. Thank you to our Youth Art Month chair, Jana Farris, for creating different activities for March! Her efforts were recognized at last year’s National Art Education Association conference. I cannot wait for this year’s Youth Art Month. Post to your and our social media sites. We want to see what you are doing!

Thank you to all of our region coordinators for their professional development coming this spring. Be on the lookout for info.They plan, organize, promote and lead the professional development opportunities. Please #ncaea or @ncaea to show us the wonderful art you create or session topics you learned Also, please send us pictures if you are not on social media. We would appreciate adding them to our minutes at the fall conference.

Please let us know how we can advocate for you. We appreciate everyone and their continued passion for arts education. Thank you for all that you do and continue to do You are not alone We are a team. Let’s work together. Keep reaching out to all of us, connect with fellow art teachers as well as talking to people in your community. Remind them how important the arts are!

Keep connecting!

HELLO HELLO GOOD GOOD BYE BYE

Thank you, next.

Since 2020, I have built this newsletter. I’ve arranged images, created color schemes and altered layouts I’ve sweated over deadlines... and slept through them. (Sorry!)

For four years, I’ve stressed over having enough content and tidy pages A few times, I’ve found myself adjusting kerning and alignment in my sleep! Now that I think about it, there were, in fact, many nights when By Design was the foundation of my nightmares yet it also made my dreams come true.

I am so ridiculously proud of what By Design has become and, with two consecutive

NAEA Newsletter Awards under my belt, I am saying goodbye to my role as Editor.

Alas, don’t fret Though I have stepped down as your Editor, I will continue to plague your inboxes via the Drip and haunt your conferences as President Elect. Fellow Region 6 educator, Justin Pierce, will be taking over as Editor and I know I’m leaving this publication in good hands. Perhaps most intriguing, is that I will now find myself within the newsletter rather than behind it...

Chynna

A new way of sharing regional news, highlights, and events is on the way!

November2024

M T W T F S S

S A V E T H E D A T E

14-17 NCAEAPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

AttheCrownePlazaTennis&GolfResortin Asheville,NC!

EarlyBirdRegistration:$165//Registration:$190

EarlyBirdNonMember:$230//NonMemberRegistration$255

National Convention

National Convention from a first-timers point of view.

By NCAEA Secretary Frann Paige

WOW, I just returned from my first National Art Educators Association convention in San Antonio, Texas. At first, I felt excited and a bit nervous, but I kept in mind I was there to meet colleagues, learn and grow as an art educator.

One of the best benefits about attending is the opportunity to network This conference brought together art educators

rom all over the country, providing an opportunity to meet like minded people who shared ideas, hints and hacks, classroom management and best practices for the art room. I had so much fun just striking up a conversation with a stranger and getting to know them.

The Exhibit Hall was amazing with over 70 exhibitors The make and take demonstrations were relatable and it showcased the latest trends and material innovations. The vendor giveaways were fantastic. I had to buy another bag to take my stash home on the plane. The

“BEST” was meeting Cassie Stephens, the elementary YouTube guru in person.

Inspiration! Attending NAEA 2023 was incredibly inspiring. I was exposed to new ideas and perspectives. The keynote speakers LaToya Ruby Frasier and Gabby Riviera were impactful. Ms. Frasier spoke about how art is a powerful tool for social transformation and Gabby Rivera, the first gay Latino to write for Marvel Comics spoke about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED &I).

The National Convention

offered a wide range of professional development. It was an exciting mix of learning presentations, hands-on experience and limitless collaborations I attended sessions that included paper engineering & SEL, popculture gargoyles, literacy for the elementary art room and Zentangles.

NAEA offered discounted and free admission to many local museums and attractions. I attended Hopscotch and McNay Museum of Art. Hopscotch is an immersive art installation created by artists from around the world. There was a grown-up ball pit and interactive light experiences. It was a BLAST! The McNay, named for founder Marion McNay is the first modern art museum in San Antonio. The McNay houses one of the best art collections I have ever viewed, including Calder, Rivera, Riley, Picasso, Matisse and Nevelson. The list goes on,

too many famous works of art to mention

Overall, attending the NAEA Nation Convention was a valuable experience for any reasons. It provided me with a rich and rewarding experience that helped me grow personally and professionally. I am truly looking forward to next year’s NAEA convention in Minneapolis. Mark your calendars now-A

Hope to see you

Amanda Aguayo:

“I’m in the middle of an existential crisis, and you ’ re giving me a project? As the only Latin voice?”

The quiet of the Thursday afternoon is shattered by Amanda Aguayo’s piercing question. Though it may sound strange to most readers, it makes perfect sense given the context At the time of the interview, she has four days to complete a presentation for Latinx Heritage Month, a project assigned to her by her school’s administration The problem? Aside from the very quick

turnaround time, she’s still figuring out the meaning of her heritage for herself.

“And I don’t have anyone else in the building to play off of,” Amanda adds from her seat at her classroom desk. Colorful decorations and artwork can be seen adorning the stark white walls behind her, each piece a testament to her job as an art teacher She’s been an educator for fourteen years, teaching in multiple counties, from Person to Guilford to Alamance She’s currently at a middle school in Orange County,

where she’s been teaching for almost three years, and with a groundbreaking art program and blooming equity team (of which she is a member), she considers her current teaching home her forever one.

The only catch is that she is currently the only Latinx educator in the building, which presents a unique set of trials

Chapter I: The Search for Identity

“Students of color need to see other people that look like them,” Amanda says with conviction “It’s crucial to building community and having someone to look up to”

She’s speaking from experience, or rather a lack of experience As is the case with many other students of color, she had few teachers that looked like her in her own educational experience; the only one she remembers is a Latin American professor for an education course, which she didn’t have until she was at university Her lack of role models of color in the educational space, especially Latinx ones, left a void growing up that she is still feeling

today.

She recalls her visit to the Latinx Educator Summit in Greensboro, North Carolina last month, hosted by LatinxEd. Despite being a generally positive experience, the event left her with some reflections about her educational background with regard to representation.

“At one of the sessions they asked a question about Latinx educators,” she reminisces. “And I ended up breaking down into tears in front of strangers because I did not have a Latinx role model in school, or really in life” Her voice wavers, expression pinching a bit, and for a moment it’s almost like she’s back in the panel experiencing a wave of emotions all over again “I had this, like, existential crisis after. Like, it was the best PD I’d ever gone to, but it also made me question: am I doing enough? Am I enough of a representative to my students’ Latinx identity?”

Having lacked representation in her time as a student, Amanda strives to be the Latinx presence she never had for her own students It’s an incredibly noble cause, but with that goal comes hardships, not helped by the fact that some of them are

placed on her by others rather than attempts of her own to connect with her students.

“I am the only Latinx educator in the building, and sometimes that comes with its own challenges,” she admits “I feel like sometimes I have to be the one to speak up for our Latinx students and say ‘hey, we need to do this, we need to do that’, and also make sure things are equitable and that we ’ re doing them for everybody. But I’m just one voice We have kids from several different Latin American countries, and sometimes it’s hard to put all the pressure on me to speak for everyone ”

As I listen to her speak, I’m blown away by her vulnerability about something that can be and is so personal to many others Not everyone is capable of such openness, and understandably so, but Amanda does it with a classy candidness that is sobering to listen to.

“It’s especially hard because right now I’m on my own journey to find my culture and my roots,” she continues. “Because I didn’t have people to look up to growing up, now I’m in a sort of mid-life crisis and I

need to do more digging.”

When she shared these feelings with the administrators at her school, she was given the aforementioned Hispanic Heritage Month project to work on Despite their hearts being in the right place, offering the project as a gesture of support and guidance on her journey, for Amanda the order was simply too tall “They want me to come up with a powerpoint, and have a slideshow with music and icons But I want the kids’ voices,” she says, and I can hear that desire in her voice, a longing quality that is subtle to most but loud to those who understand “I want to know who their icons are, who they look up to, because I’m only one voice. I don’t want to make it about what I assume I only know who I looked up to, or who is influential to me ”

Amanda is faced with a pressing dilemma: how can she be enough, for herself and for her students? How can she do right by both parties regarding representation and affirming of identity?

Perhaps the answer lies, of all places, in the world of art.

Chapter II: Advocacy Through Art

It’s no secret that artistic expression can be an incredibly effective way of conveying ideas. Artists have total creative freedom and can make whatever choices they want, use whatever mediums they desire, to communicate messages that matter to them As an art teacher, Amanda understands this, and it’s through her craft that she has worked and continues to work to empower those in need of it

“I like to expose my students to an array of artists, not just the old dead white guys, ” she tells me, eliciting a few chuckles from both of us. “I work in more contemporary artists, and not just showing them artwork, but telling them about the artists Whether they’re male or female, or identify as other, and trying to build a connection between the artists and the artwork and my students” Amanda uses a teaching philosophy known as Teaching for Artistic Behavior, where she teaches her students to act and behave like artists, aspiring to give them a voice within their artwork in order to build connections and tell their own stories.

“It’s not necessarily, ‘ we ’ re all gonna do the same project, we ’ re all gonna do cookie cutter butterflies or Van Gogh sunflowers’”, she explains “In essence, it’s giving kids choice and voice over their projects, and a safe space through which they can express themselves through art As an artist myself, I can’t help but gush where was this when I was taking school art classes growing up?

“It’s really difficult, especially with my sixth graders, to get them out of the mindset of ‘ you ’ re not gonna tell me what to do, we ’ re not all doing the same thing’,” Amanda elaborates “So we have a lot of ideation class periods. And some kids with natural creativity go straight to it. They know what they want to explore ”

As part of her curriculum, Amanda introduces different concepts with themes. One of her major projects is one she calls Artists Explore Identity, where her pupils think deeply about the concept and theme of identity She encourages them to truly examine who they are as individuals, far beyond surface-level prompts like their favorite color or genre of

book.

“I try to get them to think about not just who they are superficially. I want them to dig deep What are your interests? Where are your roots? How would you identify yourself as a person?” All of these questions are answered in the form of a nontraditional self portrait that students create

Another project Amanda leads is Artists Advocate, where she discusses social issues with her class Students are asked to think about how various issues affect them as middle schoolers, and are encouraged to pick one to advocate for through their artwork. Topics they can choose from include climate change, deforestation, homelessness, immigration reform, and rights for marginalized groups.

"Minority students, students in marginalized groups, tend to create artwork that is extremely impactful because they are able to express their emotions through creative measures when their words and voices aren't always heard" Her lips quirk into a smile as she tells me about the proud emails she gets from parents, other faculty, and even

officials outside the school when they see her students’ work displayed in the hallways.

Aside from their pieces, participants also write artist statements to support their work and communicate their intentions with it. “Yay literacy, right?” Amanda quips

By now, my artist heart is screaming: lucky kids! Perhaps it’s not a secret that the arts often go overlooked in education, but the truth is they can be as important as any core class Amanda exemplifies this through her work in her classroom, where her pupils are given the opportunity to express their fullest selves and explore themes that matter to them through the pieces they create

Chapter III: The Good Fight

As is customary with many initiatives such as hers, Amanda has gotten her share of pushback, mainly from parents during her first year. Fortunately, her school’s administration supported her. She has continued to lead her students in exploring their identities and the social issues that are relevant to them, and she doesn’t plan on

stopping anytime soon.

“These are real world topics,” she asserts, her passion evident in her voice “Just because it makes your kid uncomfortable to see things like Black Lives Matter and support for immigration just because it’s not your story doesn’t mean they aren’t stories for other kids in the classroom and in the building We’ve got to make people uncomfortable if we want to see changes. My kids need it, and I’m here for them, not for the school board or for the parents.”

Aside from her work in the classroom, Amanda has been advocating for educators like herself and for students of color through her school’s equity team She serves as a current member and has been vocal about getting a student equity team established alongside the faculty one She makes her questions as a member known: “What do our kids need? What representation do we need within the schools, within the walls? Within our district? Within our community?”

In the midst of all the work she does, it’s important for Amanda to look after herself as well as her students When asked what advice she had for

teachers of color, she had some valuable words about self-care and setting boundaries.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve I’m very empathetic,” she confesses. “And I have to learn to sometimes leave things at school. Art comes with a lot of heavy topics, and I like to expose my students to that, because a lot of them don’t have another outlet So sometimes I can read between the lines and sense there’s something deeper at play, but I’m a teacher, not a psychologist. So I’ve had to learn when to be a safe space for my kids, and when to pass things on to a professional”

Epilogue

While she still has a long path to travel on her journeys, both personal and educational, Amanda has certainly made significant progress. She tells me with excitement about her first presentation on Teaching for Artistic Behavior and literacy in the art room, which she’ll be giving this month Her art programs will also continue this school year, and despite some changes in the school board’s leadership, she’s determined

to do whatever is necessary to keep them afloat

She closes the interview with one final bit of wisdom “If there aren’t others out there that are like you, look for them,” she urges “You have to find that one person that believes in you, that you can make it Whether that’s a classmate, or a family member, or someone in your community Sometimes we feel as if we don’t belong because we ’ re different, so you have to find that safe space, and that person you can confide in and help work through it with you. ”

It’s safe to say that the fruits of Amanda’s mission to compensate for her own lack of Latinx role models in education are beginning to show. I have no doubt that, if she hasn’t already, she will absolutely become that figure for her students

CREED would like to thank Amanda for taking the time to speak with us! Stay tuned for more stories from educators of color like Amanda from across North Carolina. Are you an educator of color

interested in having your story told? See HERE for more information about Diversify the Narrative! Want to get connected with fellow educators of color throughout North Carolina? Join the #TeachinginColor Community today! We are a professional learning network of educators dedicated to building community, supporting, and advocating for policy changes in the best interest of educators of color and the students they serve. Join HERE.

NCAEABYDESIGN

Board Members

SECRETARY Frann Paige secretary@ncaea.org

TREASURER Maria Robinson treasurer@ncaeaorg

ADVOCACY Jamielle Orrell advocacy@ncaeaorg

ED&I Vacant Position edi@ncaeaorg

MEMBER AT LARGE 1 Jeannette Stevenson memberatlarge1@ncaeaorg

MEMBER AT LARGE 2 Shila Alexander memberatlarge2@ncaeaorg

ELEMENTARY Suzanne Sload elementarydivision@ncaea.org

MIDDLE Natasha Young middledivision@ncaea.org

SECONDARY Vacant Position secondarydivision@ncaeaorg

MUSEUM Michelle Harrell & Julia Hood museum@ncaeaorg

HIGHER ED Borim Song highereducation@ncaeaorg

SUPERVISION LeighAnn Little admindivision@ncaeaorg

RETIRED/EMERITUS Susan Hess & Sara Sagar retireddivision@ncaeaorg

PRE-SERVICE Vacant Position preservicepresident@ncaea.org

PRESIDENT

Whitney Hern president@ncaea.org

PRESIDENT ELECT

Chynna Oaks presidentelect@ncaeaorg

PAST PRESIDENT

Melissa Poppe presidentelect@ncaeaorg

REGION 1 Crisianee Berry & Nancy Winn region1coordinator @ncaeaorg

REGION 2 Christine Liao & Heidi Pfirman region2coordinator @ncaea.org

REGION 3 Sarah Schumacher region3coordinator @ncaea.org

REGION 4 Allison Ellis & Theressa Lewis region4coordinator @ncaeaorg

REGION 5 Lyn Lambros region5coordinator @ncaeaorg

REGION 6 Pooja Nair region6coordinator @ncaeaorg

REGION 7 Genal West & Samantha Strathy region7coordinator @ncaea.org

REGION 8 Kourtney Yelton region8coordinator @ncaea.org

EDITOR Justin Pierce bydesign@ncaeaorg

AWARDS Caitlyn Bachman awards@ncaeaorg

WEBMASTER Jodi Aker webmaster@ncaeaorg

SOCIAL MEDIA Amanda Gordon socialmedia@ncaea.org

SCHOLARSHIP Sara Sagar scholarship@ncaeaorg

YOUTH ART MONTH Jana Farris yam@ncaeaorg

HISTORIAN MaryLu Flowers-Schoen planning@ncaeaorg

ADAPTIVE ARTS Christina Bell adaptivearts@ncaeaorg

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS Vacant Position independentschools@ncaeaorg

NAHS Vacant Position nahs@ncaeaorg

NJAHS Vacant Position njahs@ncaea.org

PRESERVICE SPONSOR Emily J. Howard preservice@ncaea.org

GENERAL ASSEMBLY Anne Courie-Meulink & Amanda Aguayo generalassemblyart@ncaeaorg

DPI REPRESENTATIVE Vacant Position DPIrep@ncaeaorg