President's Letter
Dear colleagues and friends: It has been an honor to be part of the NMAEA leadership team in one way or another since 2016, and this year I’m really pleased to work as your association president. We’ve had fun finding some bright silver linings among the dark clouds of the pandemic, and our leadership team is growing. Powerfully community-minded art educators are stepping up to fill vacant leadership positions on committees and council. We’re having a good time together, and welcome you and your talents and passion to join us virtually from anywhere in the state, now that online video conferencing is the norm. Towards the end of 2020 our committees solidified some new plans, and last weekend our Advisory Council met to approve of funding them. In the coming letters I'll let you know more about the new and the well-established programs so that, whether you primarily work in a school, museum, community program, college, or your own studio practice, you can get the most of your membership. Have you noticed our National Art Education Association taking the lead on some very important and timely issues recently? I am inspired by Dr. James Haywood Rolling, Jr.'s leadership as inaugural chair of the ED&I Commission and now, NAEA President-elect , and by our organization's full speed ahead approach to virtual convention, virtual town halls, and compiling best practices for art education amid pandemic precautions.
Steve Heil (he/him)