National Art Education Foundation

The National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) invests in innovative initiatives to support instructional practice, research, and leadership in visual arts education. As an independent, philanthropic organization, NAEF has supported 375 individual projects for NAEA members since its inception in 1985.

A sister organization to the National Art Education Association (NAEA), NAEF helps fund a variety of visual arts education programs for the Association and its members, providing $605,000 for NAEA Initiatives since 2011.

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Grant Program Information

NAEF is committed to supporting the visual arts, design, and media arts community to the fullest. As the needs of the profession evolve, NAEF must also evolve to best serve the field. As such, the NAEF will be taking a strategic pause on accepting grant proposals until fall 2025. During this time, the NAEF Board of Trustees will collaborate with members and stakeholders to optimize grant application review and funding processes, refresh our web presence, and explore opportunities for fundraising.

We would like to thank ALL NAEF donors for their continued support of the Foundation and its programs—past and future! NAEF looks forward to communicating next steps stemming from this phase of planning as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the National Art Education Foundation at the 2025 NAEA National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, March 20 – 22.

What would YOU like to see in the future from NAEF? Please share your suggestions here.

NAEF thanks Kathi R. Levin for her 16 years of service.

Grant Recipients

The NAEF Board of Trustees has announced the 2024-2025 Grant Awards. View the list of 2024 NAEF Grant Recipients for project dates: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

Featured Grantee Summaries

View summaries of select NAEF funded projects.

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Questions

Questions about the National Art Education Foundation? Email us at naef@naea.arteducators.org.

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Donate

Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to the National Art Education Foundation and help fund the future of visual arts, design, and media arts education.

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About

NAEF Mission
The National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) invests in innovative initiatives to support instructional practice, research, and leadership in visual arts education.

NAEF Vision Statement
As an independent, philanthropic organization, the National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) supports a wide variety of professional activities, including support for visual art educators to participate in professional development programs; the promotion of visual arts education as an integral part of the curriculum; the exploration of new models of visual arts instruction; the promotion of the teaching of art through activities related to the instructional process, curriculum, student learning, student assessment, management, or discipline; the purchase of equipment and/or instructional resources; and conducting research in visual arts education. NAEF has supported 365 projects since its inception in 1985. NAEF is a sister organization to the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and provides support for a variety of visual arts education programs for the Association and its members. NAEF shares NAEA’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and encourages the submission of grant applications by all eligible NAEA members, especially those who are members of and/or teach in settings of historically marginalized groups.

History of NAEF Video:

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Helpful Links

Art Education Research Institute (AERI)
NAEA Research Commission