Insight to Your Local Art Education Association By Christy Garton, Local Art Education Assembly Representative, laea@board.faea.org
As we look back over the past year, we find ourselves reflecting on what 2022 brought to us. As FAEA’s Local Art Education Assembly (LAEA) board representative, I have been thinking about how my involvement in my LAEA has shaped who I am as an educator and leader. Through my memberships, I am gaining a global perspective of what arts education looks like beyond the walls of the classroom. I am learning how to push beyond challenges to find solutions. I am discovering what it means to support educators and help them find success. The most important thing I have learned is you can’t do it alone.
BENEFITS OF GETTING INVOLVED IN YOUR LAEA Meet Other Art teachers Many of you say you feel like you are teaching on an island. Involvement in your LAEA allows you to grow your professional learning communities (PLCs) through shared experiences. LAEAs connect art teachers and help its members collaborate and plan in a way that meets the unique needs of the art classroom. Associations like Manatee Art Education Association meet to discuss a variety of topics such as professional goals, purchasing and operat-
ing kilns, and fundraising. LAEAs work to support and encourage art teachers as working artists and professionals. In October, Orange County Art Educators Association, held a teacher exhibition at the City Arts in Orlando. The Northeast Florida Art Education Association members exhibited their work at the Jacksonville Public Library in October as well. Pinellas Art Education Association held its annual exhibition in November at Tully-Levine Gallery in St. Petersburg. Socials are a great way to build relationships in your LAEAs. Sarasota Art Education Association meets socially
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Make friends Make connections Make ART PRECOLLEGE 2023
Applications for Summer 2023 open from November 1, 2022 through May 1, 2023. www.ringling.edu/precollege
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Fresh Paint • Winter 2022-23