Events/Exhibits

	30th Annual Preconference National Art Education Association Museum Education Division Designing for Transparency Wednesday, March 16 \| 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, followed by a wine reception from 5:30-6:30 pm Art museum educators innovate. The start of the 21st century has ushered in massive changes in the role of technology, our audiences and institutions are growing and changing rapidly, schools now focus on developing skills, and visitors expect a certain degree of participation during their visits. The field’s focus has often remained on how we can adapt art museum education in response to the current trends, to remain relevant. While art museum educators are effective communicators when it comes to teaching, are we great communicators when it comes to being more transparent about the work of museum education?
	Art Education Celebration Social Event \| Thursday, March 17 \| 7:00 – 10:00 pm Collaborate with art educators from around the globe to kick of the Convention by celebrating art education in the Windy City! Get your green on! It will be St. Patrick’s Day in the Windy City! Music, prizes, and more will be part of this epic event!
	Artisans Gallery Marketplace \| Thursday, March 17 \| 7:00 – 9:00 pm Support your fellow artists! Don’t miss this annual opportunity to view and purchase artwork and handcrafted items created by art educators from around the world! Are you interested in reserving a table to sell your artwork? Download the Artisans Gallery registration form and submit it today. Space is limited.
	5th Annual NAEF Fundraising Benefit Event: “Present/Respond/Connect” Friday, March 18 \| 10:30 – 11:50 am Room location TBA Editor and art historian Peter Trippi discusses how and why what’s happening in art classrooms today impacts his own work encouraging collectors to talk about art. Through his magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, Peter Trippi inspires the collectors who subscribe to look more closely at art, then start talking about it with others, no matter how imprecisely. Explaining what we see and why we like (or dislike) something, focuses us, and helps connect us with ideas and with others who share our interest. Recently Trippi learned about the successes being experienced by classroom teachers piloting the Model Cornerstone Assessments (MCA's). Their strategies and outcomes are highly pertinent to what’s happening in the fields of connoisseurship and collecting: How do we respond to art personally and in public? How do we describe art and present it to others? What happens when two people have the same responses—or different ones? Significant as the MCA findings are for young learners today, they actually possess the capacity to inform and benefit older viewers too. This is a ticketed event, open to all NAEA Convention attendees. Light Refreshments will be served. Tickets are $50 ($40 tax deductible). All proceeds will support the National Art Education Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.

Exhibit Hall Location:
Exhibit Hall D1, McCormick Place, Lakeside Center,
3rd Floor

Exhibit Hall Hours:
Thursday March 17 – Saturday, March 19
10:00 am – 3:00 pm daily

To learn how to exhibit at the Convention, click here. View the interactive floorplan.

Art Materials Giveaway
NAEA’s exhibitors support visual arts education and value your loyalty. To show their thanks, participating exhibitors donate amazing prizes ranging from crayons to kilns! All you have to do is enter the drawing using the ticket in your Convention program and show up at the giveaway. Details coming soon!