Dear NCAEA Family,

I hope you have been enjoying the beautiful spring weather! Your NCAEA Board is excited to be “Moving & Shaking” in NC! We have lots of new things in the works for you. Be on the look out for all the ways we are “Exploring UnchARTed Horizons”!

• Check out your Regions Spring Workshop!
  
  
• Submit your LOGO DESIGN for this year’s conference:
  DUE by Friday, May 12. 
  Just click on this link for details:  https://form.jotform.us/70375195292158
  
  
• Nominate a colleague for an AWARD!
  We have awesome educators in our organization that deserve recognition
  Just click on this link: https://goo.gl/forms/IbcsB08LuhIqGDcl1
  
  
• Nominate a colleague or yourself to be on our NCAEA Board of Directors!
  Offices open at this year’s conference: President-Elect, Secretary, Newsletter Editor/Photographer, & Division Chairs: Elementary, Middle, Secondary, Higher Ed., Pre-Service, Museum, Supervision/Administration, Retired.
  Just click on this link: https://goo.gl/forms/Wge8g82KYruEVW2B3
  
  
• Keep watching for information on your Region’s Art Competition this Spring!!
  You will be ask to submit one 16x20 piece of artwork for the 2018 NC General Assembly Art Show.
  Region 1 & 2 will be together. Region 3 & 4 will be together at Meredith College. Region 5 & 6 will be together. Region 7 & 8 will be together.
  Contact your Region Coordinator for details. Go to ncaea.org and search under “contact”.
  
  
• We will be having a “New Teachers’ Seminar” at conference this year!
  It will take place on Friday, Oct. 27. 
  Participants will be registered for the entire conference but spend Friday in special presentations just for New Teachers!
  Special speakers and surprises just for you!
  Applications coming soon!
  
  
• Administrators Encouragement Letter for Conference: If you would like to give your Principal, Superintendent, or any other Educational Supervisor a letter requesting support for attending this year's conference in Wilmington, just click on "Administrators Encouragement Letter".
  
  
• AND MORE TO COME ..............
  

Thank you so much for all the wonderful articles and pictures sharing your “ Youth Art Month” activities!  Help advocate for your Art program by being very visible in your school and community! Go to www.ncleg.net to invite your representatives and senators to your arts programs and activities!

This organization belongs to you, please reach out and share your ideas, questions, or concerns. We value your thoughts and opinions. Help us make NCAEA continue to “Lead Arts Education in NC”!

March was Youth Art Month! Middle Schools all over the state were busy being creative as always. I want to take this opportunity to highlight a great event that is organized by a local Arts Council in Richmond County. They organize and put on the Artalympics which is a middle school art competition. It is open to any teacher in the area. This year all three middle schools from Lee county (that is where I teach) and about 12 more from surrounding areas competed. It was a great opportunity for everyone involved. 

Each student created two pieces of art and had the opportunity to win trophies for 1st place and ribbons for 2nd-5th.

I would like to include the following excerpt for all of us to consider:

“There have been so many opportunities: experiencing human development; working collaboratively with others; expanding my personal development; providing opportunities for growth in many areas.

It is important that as art educators we recognize our role as facilitators, agents for positive change. We recognize each person is an individual with special abilities, one that does not fit in a mold, that each of us makes valuable contributions.

We rely on our peers for support and direction and engage them as we evaluate the effect of our goals and achievements.  In these we are all mentors.”

News from Across the State

Vidabeth Bensen demonstrated Screen Printing to middle school students at the Magnet School for Energy and Technology in Durham in January. Her original Screen Prints were exhibited at the NC Crafts Gallery in March and at the Chapel Hill Town Hall from May - July. 

Her studio, House of Life Prints, in Fearrington Village, was open to the public April 1st and 2nd. In July she will return to the University of Connecticut to teach a Screen Printing workshop at Confratute, an international conference for teachers of all grades and subjects.

Items in Need of Action

As Co-Editor of the NAEA/RAEA E-Bulletin I am always looking for information to include from North Carolina.

Let me know about news or announcements you would like to see listed; gallery exhibits, milestones, deaths.

Let me know about subjects you would like to see addressed. 

COMMIT to contributing an article for inclusion in the E-Bulletin or have your work exhibited in the E-Bulletin’s Members Gallery 

Dear NAHS Advisers,

It was great to have you and your artistic students on the UNCG campus especially in the art building today. I had a wonderful time with your brilliant students who aim for art and art education careers. During Careers in Art Education workshop,I had an opportunity to introduce one of summer studio art enrichment opportunities UNCG School of Art has to offer.  In fact, this summer we will host the 4th Summer Arts and Design Camp, July 9-14 and various studio programs will include Advanced Drawing, Painting, Clay, Digital Photography, Digital Graphic Design, Film-making, Introduction to Interior Architecture, and Animation and Time Based Media. 

Please share attached digital brochure, website, and registration information with your high school artists. Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the art camp. 

Hope to see you again this summer.

Best,

Dr. Maria Lim - Program Coordinator, Art Education - Associate Professor, School of Art
Director, UNCG Summer Arts & Design Camp - College of Visual and Performing Arts
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Camp website: https://vpa.uncg.edu/artcamp/

Lee County recently celebrated Youth Art Month in March with the Lee County Arts Council hosting a month long art exhibit that featured K-12 student art work from all 16 of the county schools as well as home school student artwork. Members of the Lee County High School National Art Honor Society assisted with the set up of flats for the art teachers to hang their displays on. The Arts Council also hosted an artists reception for the exhibiting students and their parents. Also participating in the YAM reception was a local comic book store that invited comic book artists to set up displays and provide demonstrations. 

Jody Stouffer, MAEd, AP Certified Visual Arts & Ceramics Instructor, Lee County High School
LCHS National Art Honor Society Adviser, NCAEA National Art Honor Society State Director
2014 NCAEA Secondary Art Educator of the Year' 2012-2013 Lee County High School Teacher of the Year
2012-2013 Lee County Schools Teacher of the Year, Lee County Arts Council Vice President

I read the pre-conference packet in excruciating detail on a 6 hour turned 9 ½  hour train ride from Durham to Arlington, VA.  The frustration of delays gave way to anticipation for the upcoming events in the ensuing days.  This past summer’s 2016 NAEA leadership conference “Artistry in Leadership” promoted development in state level presidents, presidents-elect and other board members.  

First, the pre-conference packet held the results of my DiSC analysis on my leadership style.  Among the information, I learned that I will work hard to bring order to a chaotic learning environment.  Second, I engaged in the connections made at such a conference, meeting Deborah Reeve and Dennis Inhulsen, as well as acquaintances on the boards from the states of Washington and Utah and making new friends from many other states.  Third, I saw the scope of the NAEA and state organizations in much more detail than previously experienced.  Workshops that included smooth operation and commonly forgotten legal aspects of running our state level organizations led to a better understanding the amount of work that goes into the operation of these organizations.

I came away from the conference with a modified respect for what Penny Freeland does and what Rebecca Dow will be doing as President of NCAEA.  Also, it forced me to look at my position on the board with more clarity.  I hope that you can join me in asking, “Hello, I’m _______ _________.  What can I do to help?”  

I’m writing to see if you would be able to share the following PD opportunity being offered free-of-charge from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art with NCAEA members:

Who: Arts or humanities educators who teach grade 9 and up

What: Online professional development and high-quality digital curriculum being offered by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and EDC (http://learn.crystalbridges.edc.org) 

When: Applications to participate in this competitive, free-of-charge program are due by April 25, 2017

Where: Fully online, no need to travel!

Crystal Bridges and EDC developed the following digital courses for students in grade 9 – adult as a part of the Crystal Bridges Online Scholar Program:

• Art Appreciation and American Identity
• Art + Process: Creating a Body of Work

These courses can be taught in blended or fully online models and include some unique elements such as an immersive reality 3D art gallery where the students curate their own art exhibit and hang the pieces in this virtual gallery. The course content lends itself to both arts and humanities classes. You can learn more about the courses and view the syllabus for each course by visiting http://learn.crystalbridges.edc.org/content/courses.

Educators are invited to apply to be a part of this program which includes a 4–week fully online PD course to help educators use the digital curriculum and curation tools. Through a very generous donation from the Windgate Foundation, we have spaces for 200 educators to participate free-of-charge in the online teacher training course this summer. Once educators have completed the online PD, they are certified to teach using the Crystal Bridges digital content. 

You and/or educators who you think would be interested are welcome to apply for the Crystal Bridges Online Scholar Program. There are several cohorts to choose from that begin in May, June, and July. The (very brief) application is linked from this site: http://learn.crystalbridges.edc.org/content/online-scholar-program and is due by April 25, 2017. Here’s a short video about the program: https://vimeo.com/159266459.

Attached is a flyer to share about this exciting learning opportunity. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Thanks,
Erin Earnst
Communications Director, Crystal Bridges Online Scholar Program - EdTech Leaders Online at EDC
781-414-9753 - Email: [email protected] - Twitter: @erinearnst - Skype/Gchat: erinmearnst
http://learn.crystalbridges.edc.org