United States Society for Education Through Art (USSEA) Column: Spring 2023

In anticipation of our NAEA Convention, and my final NAEA News column as USSEA President, I want to thank everyone who has contributed their time and energy to supporting our collective efforts over the past 2 years. I have witnessed many USSEA board members and general membership who have actively embodied inclusive pedagogy, research, and practice in art education. It has been a pleasure to work with such an amazing organization. Moving forward, I welcome the leadership qualities and experience of Mara Pierce, our incoming President.

Over the past few months, 14 USSEA members have contributed to planning for our 2024 USSEA Conference, scheduled to take place next year in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on June 13, 14, and 15. The conference, “Responding to Cultural Crises: Action, Creativity, and Empowerment,” initiated by USSEA members last summer, is currently moving toward the specific site selection within the next month, and we hope to begin a call for proposals later this year. In the meantime, please mark your 2024 calendar. Since our last conference was virtual due to COVID restrictions, we look forward to convening in person. Stay tuned for more information to come.

[[image ####]]

I look forward to seeing you soon!

USSEA Presentations and Meetings at the 2023 NAEA Convention

Thursday, April 13

11:30 am–12:20 pm: 1,000 Cranes for Community, Country, and World Healing
Grand Hyatt/Lone Star F/Level 2
Betsy Kryeziu and Angela LaPorte

2:00–3:20 pm: Critical Identities: Inequities and Injustices
Center/Meeting Room 006B/River Level
Steven Willis, Mousumi De, Allan Richards, Ryan Shin, Rabeya Jalil, and Fatih Benzer

4:00–5:00 pm: Artist bioPEERS: Pledging Ecojustice and Environmentally Respectful Stewardship
Center/Meeting Room, 007A/River Level
Lori J. Santos

4:00 pm: Interest Group Expo (Information about USSEA and other Interest Groups) Meeting
Rooms Texas A, B, C in the Grand Hyatt, Level 4

5:00–5:50 pm: USSEA Executive Board Meeting
Center/Meeting Room 210A/Level 2
Angela LaPorte, Ryan Shin, Barbara Caldwell, Mara Pierce, & Allan Richards

Friday, April 14

1:30–2:20 pm: How Are Children Responding to Gun Violence in America?
Center/Meeting Room 210A/Level 2
Cathy Rosamond

11:30 am–12:20 pm: Nepalese Children’s Response to a Natural Disaster and COVID-19: Visual Narratives of Challenges and Resiliency
Center/Meeting Room/ 210A/Level 2
Mousumi De and Elizabeth Burkhauser

12:30–1:20pm: Art-Led Integration Across the Curriculum: A Case Study Center/Meeting Room 210A/Level 2 Dónal O’Donoghue and Angela LaPorte

2:00–02:50 pm: USSEA Award Announcements and Celebration
Grand Hyatt/Republic A/Level 4
Angela LaPorte, Fatih Benzer, JaeHan Bae, Steven Willis, and Mary Alice Arnold

Saturday, April 15

8:00–8:50 am: Teaching Art Through Engaging Antiracist Viewpoints: An Indigenous Lens
Grand Hyatt/Texas D/Level 4
Mara Pierce

11:30 am–12:20 pm: USSEA Interest Group Meeting
Grand Hyatt/Republic A/Level 4
Angela LaPorte, Allan Richards, Borim Song, Jenny Evans, and Cala Coats

1:30–2:20 pm: Critical Race Theory—The Bogeyman Prohibiting Knowledge of Cultural and Racial Diversity in K–12 Schools
Grand Hyatt/Texas A/Level 4
Allan Richards, Steven Willis, and Fatih Benzer

Consider Nominating Outstanding USSEA Members for the 2024 Awards

Submit nominations and materials for the International Ziegfeld Award; National Ziegfeld Award; PK-12 Art Educator Award; and Graduate Student Project, Thesis, or Dissertation Award to Fatih Benzer, FBenzer@MissouriState.edu. See our website for details and a list of past awardees.

Visit our Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education (jCRAE)

Access past journals or submit articles through our new website. If you have questions, contact our coeditors, Amanda Alexander and Cala Coats, jcrae1983@gmail.com.

Call for Artworks

2022–2023 USSEA Student Art Exchange and Online Exhibition

Theme: Conflict Transformation

Rebecca Shipe, director of our USSEA Student Art Exchange and Exhibition, invites students at all levels (including preservice art educators) to create artworks that reflect on the theme, “Conflict Transformation,” through images and text. For more information, go to our website link. Please consider involving your students in the online exhibition.

Submit creative work, stories, and lesson plans to our USSEA Newsletter, Voices. Submit works that relate to USSEA’s mission to Voices Editor, Jenny Evans, at jenartaddict@gmail.com.

Visit our website for more information about USSEA.

Column by:

Angela M. La Porte, USSEA President
Professor; Director of Art Education, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Email: alaporte@uark.edu