ED&I Commission Column: Spring 2023

Moving Mountains With Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. —Confucius

The NAEA ED&I Commission (“Commission”) is a place where transformative experiences flourish. It is a helper in the “small stones” mentioned above for the mountain of addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion in art education. In the coming month, we will welcome in the new Commission Chair, Anna Pilhoefer. She/Ella has dutifully served as the Commission’s elected Associate Chair and, formerly, as a Commissioner. The 13-member Commission includes a Past Chair, Chair, Associate Chair, and 10 Commissioners representing different aspects of NAEA membership. We seek to honor the multiple voices and lived experiences in art education. As the current Commission Chair, Browning Neddeau, transitions into the Past Chair role, we reflect on how service on the Commission has shaped our professional and personal lives, as well as share why equity, diversity, and inclusion are important in art education. To plant a seed for future leaders, the Chair briefly shares his reflective comments, as well as how he views his upcoming role as Past Chair. We realize that service on the commission is an honor, and we humbly serve the NAEA community and the larger art education communities. The Commission sees, hears, and supports you wherever you are in your journey in equity, diversity, and inclusion.

People may take on service roles in NAEA for various reasons, such as interest, shared vision, and community engagement. Once you are immersed in service, then your entire being enters into a cycle of inquiry. For some Commissioners, this means being seen in art education for the first time. The Preservice Commissioner shared how “the Commission elevated and empowered me professionally. It has afforded me the privilege to unmask in a professional space for the first time in my life.” Meanwhile, others search for possible answers to why and how. Thus, their service on the Commission transcends and arguably blurs professional and personal boundaries and experiences. The Supervision and Administration Commissioner remarks that “it [the Commission] has given me perspective on the range and scale that everyone, especially fellow Commissioners are on the journey to this type of work. It’s inspiring to hear everyone’s different circumstances, and what brings and drives them to do this work. It broadens my depth of empathy and has given me community for when this work feels isolating, lonely, and like a fight against all odds.”

The Secondary Commissioner reminds us of the blur the Commission faces between professional and personal lives, specifically that “I am continually striving to fulfill Dr. Maya Angelou’s words, ‘When you know better, you do better.’” We owe the opportunity to learn to ourselves and the students we serve. The Higher Education Commissioner echoes the sentiment of blurred lines by sharing, “I don’t have a personal life—my work consumes my life! All kidding aside, I am truly honored to be part of the Commission, and I don’t take my responsibilities lightly. The confidence and owning my actions and words have spilled over into my personal life. Actually, when you are an educator, your personal life and professional life overlap quite a bit when it comes to dealing with issues pertaining to equity. The real bonus that I didn’t expect is the people that I have met on the Commission. Everyone on the Commission is so supportive of each other, and they genuinely care about making a difference. Also, I have observed and noticed how well my fellow Commission members LISTEN to each other. Listening is so important—so I want to get better at listening and paying close attention to what others are saying.”

We circle back to “carrying away small stones” in our collective work. The Associate Chair reminds us, “ED&I is important in art education, and it has the ability to provide the space, tools and knowledge to heal, connect and cope.” As we invite in new voices, lived experiences, and expertise to the Commission, the Chair reflects on the evolution of systems and structures and building a process with all of its imperfections. As he moves into the Past Chair position, he looks to support the emerging leadership in art education and witnessing the many more small stones to help us “move a mountain,” so all art educators and students can be seen, heard, and included in the world we share.

Column by:

Browning M. Neddeau, Chair, NAEA ED&I Commission
Jointly Appointed Associate Professor of Elementary Teacher Education and American Indian Studies, California State University, Chico. Email: bmneddeau@csuchico.edu

Tiffany Lin, Supervision & Administration, NAEA ED&I Commission
Program Director, Partner Schools and Network, Exploring the Arts, New York City, NY. Email: tlin@exploringthearts.org

Elizabeth Barker, Secondary, NAEA ED&I Commission
Visual Arts Department Chair, Lebanon High School, Lebanon, MO. Email: ebarker@lebanon.k12.mo.us

Cathy Rosamond, Higher Education, NAEA ED&I Commission
Chair, Art Education, School of the Visual Arts. Email: crosamond@vsa.edu

Emily Saleh, Preservice, NAEA ED&I Commission
Visual Arts and Design Educator, Village School, West Windsor and Plainsboro, NJ. Email: emily.saleh04@gmail.com

Anna Pilhoefer, Associate Chair, NAEA ED&I Commission
Director, Equity and Multilingual Learner Services, Santa Barbara Unified School District, Santa Barbara, CA. Email: apilhoefer@sbunified.org