Congratulations to the 2026 Recipients of NAEA Awards!
Each year the NAEA Awards Program recognizes outstanding art educators in all NAEA Divisions and Regions, and from each state, province, and international association. Awardees will be celebrated at the 2026 NAEA National Convention, taking place in Chicago, IL March 5 –7.
Download a complete listing of 2026 Awardees.
NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS
Agent of Change in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award
Alicia Kopec
Chicago, IL
COMC J. Eugene Grigsby, Jr. Award
Dr. Manisha Sharma
Denton, TX
Distinguished Fellow
Amelia Kraehe
Tuscon, AZ
Distinguished Fellow
Kathryn Hillyer
Milwaukee, WI
Distinguished Fellow
Mira Kallio-Tavin
Athens, GA
Distinguished Fellow
Ryan Shin
Tuscon, AZ
Distinguished Service Outside the Profession
Eric Meidel
Gurnee, IL
Elliot Eisner Doctoral Research Award in Art Education
Ye Sul Park
Hummelstown, PA
Elliot Eisner Doctoral Research Award in Art Education 1st Runner Up
Jenna Gabriel
Richmond, VA
Eisner Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Kerry Freedman
St. Charles, IL
Lowenfeld
Dr. Douglas Boughton
St. Charles, IL
Mac Arthur Goodwin Award for Distinguished Service Within the Profession
Betsy Logan
Auburn, AL
Manuel Barkan Memorial Award
Kevin Jenkins
San Marcos, TX
Marion Quin Dix Leadership
Thom Knab
Buffalo, NY
National Emeritus Art Educator
Betsy Logan
Auburn, AL
Presidential Citation
New Mexico Art Education Association
NAEA, The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), VSA Beverly Levett Gerber Special Education Lifetime Achievement
Sara Lucas-Dreiss
Clarksburg, MD
NAEA, The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), VSA Peter J. Geisser Special Education Art Educator of the Year
Sarah Swanson
Philadelphia, PA
The Gilbert A. Clark and Enid Zimmerman Leadership Advocacy Award
Libya Doman
Washington, DC
DIVISION AWARD WINNERS
National Art Educator
Linda Kieling
Oregon City, OR
National Elementary Art Educator
Leah Keller
Wild Rose, WI
National Middle Level Art Educator
Janis Nunnally
Cookeville, TN
National Secondary Art Educator
Linda Kieling
Oregon City, OR
National Preservice Art Educator
Madison Caparella
Towson, MD
National Higher Education Art Educator
Kryssi Staikidis
Saint Charles, IL
National Higher Education Art Educator
Kryssi Staikidis
Saint Charles, IL
National Museum Education Art Educator
Jennifer Beradino
Houston, TX
National Supervision & Administration Art Educator
Anjali Wells
Laurel, MD
New Professional Art Educator
Gabrielle Roland
St. Petersburg, FL
Preservice Chapter Sponsor Award of Excellence
Laura Lee McCartney
Fort Worth, TX
Outstanding National Art Honor Society Sponsor
Renna Moore-Edwards
Jackson, MS
Outstanding National Junior Art Honor Society Sponsor
No Recipient
Rising Stars Secondary Recognition Program
Lincoln Rosewood
Prineville, OR
Rising Stars Secondary Recognition Program
Olivia Valenti
Queenstown, MD
Rising Stars Secondary Recognition Program
Aubrey Heins
Fairview Heights, IL
Rising Stars Secondary Recognition Program
Annie Layden
Yardley, PA
REGIONAL AND STATE AWARD WINNERS
EASTERN
Eastern Region Art Educator
Raine Valentine
Spring Grove, PA
Eastern Region Elementary Art Educator
Kristen Rosenthal
Newark, DE
Eastern Region Middle Level Art Educator
Raine Valentine
Spring Grove, PA
Eastern Region Secondary Art Educator
Ian Torney
Milton, MA
Eastern Region Preservice Art Educator
Tia Trawally
Middle River, MD
Eastern Region Higher Education Art Educator
No Recipient
Eastern Region Supervision/Administration Art Educator
Anjali Wells
Laurel, MD
Eastern Region Museum Education Art Educator
No Recipient
Connecticut Art Educator of the Year
Carla Eichler
Orange, CT
Delaware Art Educator of the Year
Kristen Leida Rosenthal
Newark, DE
District of Columbia Art Educator of the Year
Lea Waldridge
Springfield, VA
Maine Art Educator of the Year
Hope Lord
Winthrop, ME
Maryland Art Educator of the Year
Julia Stone
Baltimore, MD
Massachusetts Art Educator of the Year
No Recipient
New Hampshire Art Educator of the Year
Maria Oakley
Chester, NH
New Jersey Art Educator of the Year
Sherry Hurwitz
Trenton, NJ
New York Art Educator of the Year
Timothy Needles
Sound Beach, NY
Ontario Art Educator of the Year
Michele Kleinshuck
Ayr, ON
Pennsylvania Art Educator of the Year
Leslie Grace
Philadelphia, PA
Rhode Island Art Educator of the Year
Susan Kolenda
Johnson, RI
Vermont Art Educator of the Year
James Lockhart
Hardwick, VT
West Virginia Art Educator of the Year
Holly Bess Kincaid
Beckley, WV
SOUTHEASTERN
Southeastern Region Art Educator
Rebecca Williams
Murray, KY
Southeastern Region Elementary Art Educator
Meredith Snyder
Virginia Beach, VA
Southeastern Region Middle Level Art Educator
Karla Kolb
Warrenton, VA
Southeastern Region Secondary Art Educator
Dallas Gillespie
Buford, GA
Southeastern Region Preservice Art Educator
Gabriel Williams
Jackson, Mississippi
Southeastern Region Higher Education Art Educator
Yiwen Wei
Richmond, VA
Southeastern Region Supervision & Administration Art Educator
Limeul Eubanks
Ridgeland, Mississippi
Southeastern Region Museum Education Art Educator
Truly Matthews
Norfolk, VA
Alabama Art Educator of the Year
Alicia Hames
Auburn, AL
Florida Art Educator of the Year
Marilyn Proctor-Givens
Tallahassee, FL
Georgia Art Educator of the Year
Noelle Petersen
Decatur, GA
Kentucky Art Educator of the Year
Rebecca Williams
Murray, KY
Louisiana Art Educator of the Year
Ange Riehl
Lafayette, LA
Mississippi Art Educator of the Year
Rebecca Lancaster
Bolton, MS
North Carolina Art Educator of the Year
Dr. Maria Knuckley Robinson
Winston-Salem, NC
South Carolina Art Educator of the Year
Katie Pfrommer
Columbia, SC
Tennessee Art Educator of the Year
Kathy McMillan
Tullahoma, TN
Virginia Art Educator of the year
James Herd
Powhatan, VA
WESTERN
Western Region Art Educator
Leah Keller
Wild Rose, WI
Western Region Elementary Art Educator
Leah Keller
Wild Rose, WI
Western Region Middle Level Art Educator
Sarah Bullion
Ann Arbor, MI
Western Region Secondary Art Educator
Ann Ossey
Mundelein, Il
Western Region Preservice Art Educator
Makenna Connors
Denton, TX
Western Region Higher Education Art Educator
Dana Carlisle Kletchka
Columbus, OH
Western Region Supervision & Administration Art Educator
Kim Meyers Baas
Grand Rapids, MI
Western Region Museum Education Art Educator
Grace VanderVliet
Ann Arbor, MI
Arkansas Art Educator of the Year
Amber Lemser
DeQueen, AR
Illinois Art Educator of the Year
Theresa Fontana
Muundelein, IL
Indiana Art Educator of the Year
Hannah Richardson
Upland, IN
Iowa Art Educator of the Year
Cassie Garrity
DeWitt, Iowa
Kansas Art Educator of the Year
Katie Morris
Holton, KS
Michigan Art Educator of the Year
Jacqueolynn Whiteley
Adrian, MI
Minnesota Art Educator of the Year
Nora Schull
Minneapolis, MN
Missouri Art Educator of the Year
Dinah Orr
Warrensburg, MO
Nebraska Art Educator of the Year
Christopher Strickland
Kearney, NE
North Dakota Art Educator of the Year
Jamie Worden
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Ohio Art Educator of the Year
Matt Young
Dublin, OH
Oklahoma Art Educator of the Year
Betty Hancock
Cushing, OK
South Dakota Art Educator of the Year
Jayme Wiertzema
Sioux Falls, SD
Texas Art Educator of the Year
Jami Bevans
Iola, TX
Wisconsin Art Educator of the Year
Leah Keller
Wild Rose, WI
PACIFIC
Pacific Region Art Educator
Chalon Ross
South Gate, CA
Pacific Region Elementary Art Educator
Monica Thompson
Missoula, MT
Pacific Region Middle Level Art Educator
Carmellia Termini
Los Lunas, NM
Pacific Region Secondary Art Educator
Diane Lea
Albuquerque, NM
Pacific Region Preservice Art Educator
No Recipient
Pacific Region Higher Education Art Educator
Gigi Yu
Albuquerque, NM
Pacific Region Supervision/Administration Art Educator
Anna Davis
Provo, UT
Pacific Region Museum Education Art Educator
Kelly Williams
El Segundo, CA
Alaska Art Educator of the Year
No Recipient
Arizona Art Educator of the Year
Ryan Williams
Goodyear, AZ
California Art Educator of the Year
Chalon Ross
South Gate, CA
Colorado Art Educator of the Year
Wendy Foos
Colorado Springs, CO
Hawaii Art Educator of the Year
No Recipient
Idaho Art Educator of the Year
Danielle Forsberg
Middleton, Idaho
Montana Art Educator of the Year
Monica Thompson
Missoula, MT
New Mexico Art Educator of the Year
Rene Palomares
Albuquerque, NM
Nevada Art Educator of the Year
Elizabeth Ward
Las Vegas, NV
Oregon Art Educator of the Year
Jamin London Tinsel
Portland, OR
Utah Art Educator of the Year
Aleia Nay
Marysvale, UT
Washington Art Educator of the Year
Emily Palmiter
Everett, WA
Wyoming Art Educator of the Year
Anne Bovee
Casper, WY
NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE AWARDS
Newsletter Award Category I
AAEA Perpsectives
Alabama Art Education Association
Newsletter Award Category I Honorable Mention
VAEA Newsletter
Vermont Art Educators
Newsletter Award Category II
Mixed Media
Maine Art Educators Association
Newsletter Award Category II Honorable Mention
The Perspective
Nebraska Art Teachers Association
Newsletter Award Category III
NYSATA News
New York State Art Teachers Association
Newsletter Award Category III Honorable Mention
By Design
North Carolina Art Education Association
Website Award Category I
Alabama Art Education Association
Website Award Category I Honorable Mention
No Recipient
Website Award Category II
Maine Art Education Association
Website Award Category II Honorable Mention
No Recipient
Website Award Category III
Florida Art Education Association
Website Award Category III Honorable Mention
Wisconsin Art Education Association