NAEA Position Statement on Collaborations between the Visual Art Educator and the Teaching Artist

A teaching artist is a professional artist who shares their expertise and experience with learners and faculty. NAEA supports the policy that teaching artists work in close collaboration with an effective educator certified in visual art who maintains the primary responsibility for classroom learning and assessment.

Partnerships with teaching artists enhance professional development, program development, and learning in the arts. The shared expertise of both the art educator and teaching artist enriches a comprehensive and sequential Pre K-12 visual arts curriculum.

Art educator/teaching artist collaborations invigorate and expand creative learning and are mutually beneficial. Art educators, teaching artists, and learners form dynamic working relationships that may take place in a variety of settings and/or situations within the classroom or community. Additional benefits of a partnership between art educators and teaching artists can include:

• community collaboration and partnerships
• professional development and reflection for art educators and the larger school faculty
• insight into visual art as a career for learners and educators
• diverse perspectives and role models for learners and art educators
• in-depth experiences with media and techniques
• increased visibility of art education in the school and community