National Art Education Foundation Column: Spring 2023

National Art Education Foundation Featured Events at NAEA Convention

Column by: F. Robert Sabol, NAEF Chair

The National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) convenes its Board of Trustees and supports a number of sessions and events at the NAEA National Convention each year. The NAEF Board of Trustees will hold its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 12. NAEF sessions during the Convention include a session on applying for NAEF Grants on Thursday, April 13 at 11:30 am (Center/Meeting Room 213B/Level 2). All NAEA members interested in learning more about the NAEF Grants Program and how to apply for a NAEF grant are encouraged to attend. A panel featuring recent NAEF grantee projects will take place on Friday, April 14 at 2:00 pm (Grand Hyatt/Republic B/Level 4), moderated by Cris Guenter, NAEF Vice Chair. This year’s session will feature two exemplary projects completed with NAEF funding during 2021–2022.

NAEF has been instrumental in supporting NAEA initiatives with direct funding of $600,000 since 2011. Among those NAEA initiatives NAEF has supported are the NAEA School for Art Leaders (SAL) since 2015; NAEA Research Commission Preconvention since 2016; and the NAEA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commission since 2020. NAEF continued its support this year with funding for the NAEA Research Commission.

The 12th NAEF Annual Fundraising Benefit Event returns on Saturday, April 15, from 10:30 to 11:50 am (Center/Meeting Room 006B/River Level). This year’s program is titled:

SAY SÍ—Transformative Change Through Creative Youth Development
A Focus on Social Justice and Change

Our featured speaker is Jon Hinojosa, SAY Sí President and Director of Innovation and SAY Sí Student Alumni. SAY Sí is based in San Antonio (https://www.saysi.org).

SAY Sí is a year-round, long term multidisciplinary creative youth development program that provides students opportunities to develop artistic and social skills in preparation for higher educational advancement and professional careers. National studies report that positive academic, behavioral, and social changes take place when young people are exposed to nurturing arts programs; SAY Sí bears witness to that transformation every day. Its tuition-free programs serve urban youth of color in local Title I schools, and yet its students surpass the graduation rate of their respective schools. In the past 23 years, 100% of SAY Sí’s students have graduated from high school and 98% have gone on to college; most are first-generation college students.

We welcome all Convention attendees to enrich their San Antonio experience by attending this ticketed special event! Light refreshments will be served. All proceeds will support the National Art Education Foundation. Tickets are $60. $50 is a tax-deductible contribution to the National Art Education Foundation. Tickets can be added to your Convention registration in advance or purchased at registration on-site.

Acknowledgements

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to acknowledge the leadership of NAEF Development Chair, Samantha Melvin, who will be completing her tenure on the NAEF board following this year’s Convention. Linda Kieling, NAEF Trustee, will end her tenure following Convention as she joins the NAEA Board. Thomas Knab, NAEA Past President, completes his term as well. Thank you, Linda, Thom, and Samantha for your hard work, leadership, and friendship!

Thank you to NAEF Donors

In closing, I want to thank the many NAEA members who have donated generously to NAEF over the past year. The donor list will appear in the NAEA Convention catalog and is posted on the NAEF page of the website. On a special note, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution from the Estate of Laura Chapman, NAEA colleague who passed away in 2021. Chapman, a former NAEF Trustee, decided to donate the royalties from her textbook sales moving forward to the Foundation. This is a very special honor for NAEF to receive these funds and we thank her for her generosity.

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F. Robert Sabol, NAEF Chair, 2022–2023