Secondary Division Column: Summer 2023

I love those connections that make this big old world feel like a little village.
—Gina Bellman

It would be an understatement to say the NAEA National Convention was about connections for so many people. My first Convention was Chicago, 1998. Now every year I look forward to connecting with people I met then and since. Outside of the Convention Center in San Antonio, it looked like a flash mob as many people gathered seeing friends from afar.

We want you to know that your new Secondary Division Team wants to connect with you. During Conversations With Colleagues, members indicated that they would like to connect more. We heard you and have developed a Secondary Newsletter, along with opportunities for mentorship and gathering virtually to talk and make art together. Look to NAEA Collaborate for more on these. Now meet your team.

My name is Linda Kieling, and I am honored to be your new Secondary Division Director. I am in my 32nd year of teaching and have lived near Portland, Oregon, for 24 years. My husband Ron and I have a pandemic puppy—a smart, independent Shiba Inu named Miku. I love to travel; make art; and hang with our five grown kids, their families, and all of the dogs. I am fond of saying, “You should learn something new every day.” My inner-wrist tattoo reminder is “Ancora imparo”—an Italian phrase meaning “Yet, I am learning,” often attributed to Michelangelo at age 87.

Introducing Secondary Division Director-Elect Robin Brewer. Robyn lives and teaches in the Philadelphia suburbs and has been teaching for 22 years. Specializing in photography, film, and animation, she teaches Grades 9–12 in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. In addition, Robin teaches for the MAT Art Education program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she earned her MFA in studio art. Robin’s family includes partner, John; children, Veronica and Buddy; cats, Bella, Mr. Kitty, and Tasha; and a challenging Shiba Inu, Noki. A favorite saying in her classroom is “What you create in this room is a reflection of who you are!”

Meet your Eastern Region Secondary Director, Lora Marie Durr. Lora Marie lives on a farm and teaches at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, New Jersey. She is completing her 22nd year there and also serves as the immediate past president of AENJ. Lora Marie’s extremely supportive partner, Gary, is a high school computer science teacher, and they have a 4-year-old golden retriever named Henry. Her personal favorite media are oil paint and yarn, as she has “developed a pretty serious knitting addiction since the pandemic.” One of Lora Marie’s favorite quotes is from Jerry Saltz: “The only rule is work.”

Now presenting Catherine Heller, your Southeastern Region Secondary Director. Cathy received her bachelor’s degree in art education from Armstrong Atlantic State University and a master’s degree at Valdosta State University. She is an active member in both GAEA—where she served in various offices, including president—and NAEA. She was named Teacher of the Year at Tucker Elementary in 20’03 and at her current school in 20’08, and she was a Top 10 finalist for Houston County Teacher of the Year. Her students have won numerous awards and scholarships. In 2019, she was named the Secondary Art Educator of the Year for Georgia and the Southeastern Secondary Art Educator of the Year. Cathy and her husband Johnny have a boxer and four cats. In her office is this African proverb: “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”

Meet Cydney DeBennetto, your Pacific Region Secondary Director. She is a native Californian, teaching now for 20 years. Currently, Cydney lives in Los Gatos and has been teaching in San José for the past 10 years. Prior to that, she lived in San Diego, where she taught for 10 years. She has taught all secondary grades from 6th to 12th, as well as many types of art classes through AP Studio. Cydney has been a yearbook adviser for 13 years. Her favorite classes to teach are the ones she is currently teaching: Drawing, Painting and Design 1–2, Design in Mixed Media 1–2, and Yearbook. One of her favorite art quotes is by Jasper Johns: “Do something, do something to that, then do something to that.”

We are currently seeking someone for the role of Western Region Secondary Director. Please contact me with your interest or recommendation.

Welcome team. Again, members, we want to connect with you, represent your needs, and support you the best we can. We look forward to it.

Column by:

Linda W. Kieling, Secondary Division Director
Art Educator, North Clackamas Schools, Clackamas, OR. Email: lwkieling@gmail.com

Elect: Robin Brewer, Art Educator, Glen Mills, PA.

Regional Directors:
Eastern: Lora Marie Durr, loramariedurr@gmail.com
Southeastern: Catherine Heller, cloggerart@gmail.com
Pacific: Cydney Benedetto, cdebenedetto@sjusd.org