The National Art Education Association (NAEA) hosted its annual art education convention, on April 4 – 6, 2024, in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over 3,200 art educators were in attendance from across the country. A third were first-time attendees. How cool is that? Last year I wrote about my experience when it was held in San Antonio, Texas. I wrote, “What does an art education convention look like these days? Well, it is a non-stop walking, connecting, reflecting, and learning marathon sprinkled with a sense of urgency to learn from the nation’s top K to post-secondary art educators“. My current experience went well beyond this with National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) meetings and co-presenting with a group of wonderful, dedicated, and inspiring art educators. To fully take advantage of this convention, skimming the 108-page program to seek out sessions that are relevant to your current teaching practice, interested in learning more of, and/or finding ways to step out of your comfort zone are important. Connecting with other art educators, deepening your current relationship with your fellow colleague(s) beyond the art room, embracing the open invitation to network, and creating an immediate collegial family are some of the ways to capture the essence of this convention.

During one of my presentations, I had the chance to sit down and meet a first-time attendee. As we shared brief information about each other, she asked if I had any tips on how to navigate the convention. This was quite the flashback. I remember attending my first NAEA convention in Minneapolis in 2005. As a young art educator, I aimlessly strolled through the convention and attended sessions that were of interest. Now that I am a well-seasoned convention goer, having the opportunity to share helpful tips was an honor. The advice I gave her was to absorb everything that the convention has to offer – sessions, exhibitors, workshops, events, and the city. Do not attempt to make any sense of it right now. Take lots of notes and pictures. Give yourself at least two weeks to digest the experience, revisit, and list down your takeaways. Act upon them. Ride that wave of motivation, inspiration, and excitement.

Connections and professional relationships are built over time. For me, it took almost 20 years. Whether attending or submitting a proposal for the first time, provide yourself the space to grow professionally, personally, and collegially. The convention goes beyond listening to presenters, learning, and reflecting. It is a place to seek advice, have difficult conversations, and create a system of support that can expand virtually. The convention is a place to tap into resources in a similar way that art educators share real-life experiences from the field of teaching with others. The information is out there. It is a matter of what you are doing to seek it out. Teaching is difficult and there is no reason why you should do it alone.

This year I presented several presentations. They were Yes We CAN!: Exploring Creativity as a Through Line of the Connected Arts Network PLC with fellow national teacher leaders Tim Needles, Gayle Nicholls-Ali, Chay Ross, and Cassie Dunlavey; How to maintain your studio practice as an art educator and why it matters with fellow artists/art educators Rama Hughes and James Rees; What Does an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Classroom Look Like Today with colleague Dannielle Arneson and Contemporary Art in Context with SchoolArts Magazine editor-in-chief Nancy Walkup, SchoolArts Magazine authors James Rees, Melody Weintraub, Rama Hughes, and Sue Lidke.

Besides co-presenting with these wonderful humans, I would like to share exciting news with you. During the convention, I transitioned to a new role in the National Art Education Foundation as the incoming vice-chair and was introduced to a room full of Davis Publication guests as the newest SchoolArts Magazine editor-in-chief. A big thank you to Nancy Walkup for her mentorship, friendship, support, and encouragement that she has given me over the past 9 years.

Here’s a snapshot of what took place during this art education convention.

The convention may be full of keynote speakers, exhibitors, hands-on demonstrations, workshops, presentations, and meetings, which make up about 90%. However, the remaining 10% is about exploring the city, finding inspiration, and creating new ideas for your art students. I have never been more excited to go into the art room than after an art education convention.