Virginia Art Education Association

Your Conference. Your Schedule.

In the Making · Richmond, Virginia · October 22–24, 2026
Explore sessions, build your personal schedule, and make the most of three creative days together.

Planning note: Session fees are separate from conference registration. Preregistration deadline: October 4. Sessions marked Ticket or Registration require advance selection.

□ Special Announcements

Conference status

Conference Essentials

→Walking Tour

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Capture something inspiring, creative, or just plain fun? Share your conference photos with VAEA. Posting your conference experience online too? Share in our VAEA Member Forum on Facebook, tag @vaarted on social media, and use #vaARTed26 so our art education community can follow along.

Upload Conference Photos #vaARTed26

Share the experience: Post in the VAEA Member Forum on Facebook, tag @vaarted on socials, and include #vaARTed26.

Friday Afternoon

Celebration of Art and Educators Awards Reception

4:45–5:45 PM · River City Prefunction Area

Celebrate outstanding art educators and colleagues from across Virginia with awards, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres following the General Session and Keynote.

Saturday Afternoon

Mending Walls Walking Tour

Begins 2:45 PM · Downtown Richmond · $35 per person

Explore Richmond through public art, conversation, and community connection with Mending Walls RVA. Separate registration is required through Mending Walls; the conference booklet lists the tour at $35 per person.

⭐ Don’t Miss These

Thursday Evening

Vendor Reception & Artisans’ Showcase

5:30–7:00 PM · River City Ballroom

Visit with conference vendors and shop handmade artwork created by fellow VAEA members. Free with your conference name badge. Light hors d’oeuvres are provided; cash bar available.

SHOPCONNECTHANDMADE ART

Saturday Morning

Vendor Focus & Door Prize Giveaway

10:00–11:30 AM · Vendor Hall

Spend dedicated time with your favorite vendors and enter the conference door-prize giveaway. Complete the door-prize form and drop it in the box. You must be present to win.

EXPLORECONNECTWIN

View the 2026 Vendor List (14)

AMACO/brent
Art of Education
Blick Art Materials
Christopher Newport University
Davis Publications
eMedia VA
Kurtz Bros
SCAD
School Specialty SAX
Standard Clay
The Ceramic Shop
The Kiln Doctor
United Art and Education
VA Lottery

Featured Keynote

Learn more about Sandy Williams IV →

♥ Community Outreach Project

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

VAEA is excited to announce a new partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Richmond (CHoR). There are several opportunities for teachers and students to get involved with medically complex children ages 0–20 in the transitional care unit.

Opportunities range from donating supplies, to helping create decorations for year-round events such as dances and festivals for the children, or even attending a workshop to work one-on-one with students onsite.

Look for the Community Outreach table at the conference to learn more and find a way to participate.

Build Your Conference Schedule

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Thursday, October 22

101

Beyond Looking: Collaborate, Communicate, Co-Construct

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomSalon A

Hannah Hall, Sarah Rasich, presenters

All Levels FREE

How can works of art serve as a catalyst for shared learning experiences? Join educators from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for this hands-on session. Participants will engage in a collaborative sketching exercise working together to problem-solve, synthesize, and think critically with works of art in VMFA's collection. Together we will explore how collaboration, communication, and co-construction in the art classroom can encourage students to go beyond looking to spark creative action. Participants will walk away with adaptable digital resources to bring back into the classroom.

102

Twists and Turns: Creative Quilling for the Art Classroom

Time12:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomGerhart Room

Dr. Leigh Drake, presenter

All Levels $5.00 · REGISTRATION

Explore the timeless art of paper quilling through fresh, contemporary approaches designed for today’s students. This session will introduce a range of quilling techniques—from simple coils to intricate compositions—using affordable materials and easy-to-learn methods. Participants will see how quilling can enhance lessons in design, pattern, and fine motor skills while fostering patience, focus, and creativity. Leave with project ideas adaptable for multiple grade levels and the confidence to roll, twist, and shape paper into stunning works of art.

103

Thinking Outside the Box: There are No Bad Ideas - Creating Programming for Continued Arts Education

Time12:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Joleen Neighbours, presenter

All Levels FREE

“Thinking Outside of the Box: There Are No Bad Ideas” is designed specifically for arts leaders seeking to broaden their scope of innovation and reimagine what is possible within their programs. This session explores creativity, innovation, and leadership in arts education, emphasizing the power of unconventional thinking, cross-disciplinary inspiration, and learning through risk-taking and failure. Through examples of innovators across multiple fields, participants will engage with practical strategies to expand their own creative capacity—breaking routines, documenting and developing ideas, and challenging long-standing assumptions. The session encourages a forward-thinking, inclusive approach to leadership that opens new pathways for program growth and artistic impact.

104

From Scribbles to Sculptures

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomMiller Room

Susan Schutte, Katherine LeMay, presenters

All Levels $1.00 · REGISTRATION

Scared to collaborate? It's easier than you think! See how high school artists bring kindergarten drawings to life, turning simple sketches into amazing 3D works of art. Experience creativity, teamwork and imagination across generations. In this session, we'll share how we connected our students through the love of art. Come ready to collaborate and create!

105

Nuts and Bolts Filmmaking

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Thomas O'Keefe, presenter

Middle School: Adaptable FREE

Students often love watching movies, but although cinema may be meaningful to them, sophisticated production values and Hollywood technologies can obscure the nuts-and-bolts fundamentals of filmmaking. In this presentation a time-tested method will be outlined that teaches filmmaking from the ground up, following the history of the art form itself, and which empowers students to create cinema, not just recordings. Expect an outline of a cinema curriculum that is collaborative, active, fun, and teaches students to make and watch films at a higher level.

106

Using Canva for Self-Expression

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

April Barlett, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

In this session, we will explore the work of contemporary First American artist and photographer Cara Romero. She uses her work to tell stories and explore the diversity of living indigenous people. Participants in this session will use a variety of editing tools in Canva to create a digital collage that helps tell their own unique story of culture, place and expression. To fully participate, attendees should have a laptop and access to Canva.

107

Don't Reinvent the (Color) Wheel!

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomEnsemble Room

Melanie Soscia, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable $2.00 · REGISTRATION

Teaching the fundamentals of color and color theory to young students sounds basic, but in practice it can be challenging. How do we make color exciting without losing the focus? How do we scaffold learning throughout the elementary years? And how do we make sure students master the concepts of basic color relationships? Don’t reinvent the (color) wheel! In this session we will explore several lessons for PK-5th grade students that build and expand upon the basics of teaching color and create our own color wheels using oil pastels, playdoh or watercolor paints!

108

VAEA Distinguished Fellows Annual Meeting

Time12:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomTea Room

Barbara Laws, Scott Russell, Linda Conti, presenters

VAEA Distinguished Fellows FREE

VAEA Distinguished Fellows meet annually to review activities over the past year and discuss ways to support the VAEA, its members, and the art education profession.

109

Investigation to Inspiration: Jump-start Artistic Thinking in Your Classroom

Time1:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomSalon A

Sarah Rasich, Hannah Hall, presenters

Middle School: Adaptable FREE

Using investigation, artists can anchor and refine their ideas and explore various aspects of a thematic idea, compelling concept, or essential process. This hands-on session, with educators from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will demonstrate a scaffolded investigation of a contemporary artwork in VMFA’s permanent collection. Participants will engage in active investigation and guided looking culminating in a thoughtful creative challenge they can take back to the classroom. Adaptable digital classroom resources will be highlighted during the session.

110

Clay Camp: Beyond Pinch Pots

Time1:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomMiller Room

Andrea Eisenberger, presenter

All Levels $5.00 · REGISTRATION

Ready to move beyond traditional pinch pots and coil creations? Explore engaging clay projects that build technical skills while encouraging creativity and student voice. Participants will experience hands-on clay techniques, examine classroom-tested lessons, and leave with project ideas, management strategies, and assessment tools that can be adapted for any grade level. Bring a box to carry your creations home in.

111

Camp ART: Creative Adventures in Collaborative Professional Learning

Time1:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Ashley Melnichak, Jen Stackpole, presenters

All Levels FREE

What happens when art educators step outside the traditional workshop setting and gather around a shared summer camp-inspired experience? Camp A.R.T. was designed to bring together art teachers from multiple districts for a day of creativity, collaboration, networking, and professional learning in a park setting. Through hands-on artmaking, outdoor activities, and intentional opportunities for connection, participants build relationships, exchange ideas, develop new skills, and strengthen their professional learning community. Join us to learn how this unique professional learning experience was developed, how partnerships across districts were cultivated, and how camp-themed experiences can foster meaningful connections among art educators.

112

Sashiko

Time1:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

Dawn Vass, presenter

High School: Adaptable $3.00 · REGISTRATION

Sashiko is a traditional Japanese embroidery technique using a simple running stitch to create decorative, geometric patterns. It historically features white cotton thread on indigo cloth, focusing on rhythm and tension to create small, "little steps" (stitches) that make fabric stronger and visually striking. Adaptable for all levels. Participants will receive fabric, thread, needle and access to patterns. Participants are encouraged to bring their own denim to enhance during the conference.

113

Beyond the Spine: Kinetic Bookmaking

Time1:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomEnsemble Room

Susan Silva, presenter

All Levels $6.00 · REGISTRATION

In this hands-on workshop, you will navigate the flag book structure; a sculptural form that brings pages to life through movement. Ideal for all grade levels, this flexible structure perfectly mirrors the fluid nature of creativity. Explore how students can use these kinetic layers to make their artistic process, reflections, and evolving learning visible. Discover how to turn structural bookmaking into an interactive storage space for ideas and investigations blending form and function to demonstrate growth. Leave inspired with a versatile, low-cost project ready to inspire your students.

PS1

Assembling Otherwise: Reimagining Art Education Beyond Human-Centered Binaries

Time1:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Marzia Farhana, presenter

Poster Session FREE

This presentation shares strategies for how art classrooms can function as dynamic assemblages that challenge binary ways of thinking about identity, diversity, knowledge, culture, materials and learning. Since the binary perspectives keep human in the center and exclude others and resists the multiple way of thinking and looking at things, this project invite learners to explore identity, environment, non-human agency and our co-existence with other species and materials while challenging human centered binary perspectives and traditional hierarchies. Emphasizing on youth led and place based projects, students develop connections with environment, community stories, ecological knowledge and materials, like found objects, the learners will contribute to meaning-making and artistic inquiry.

PS2

Retaining our humanity in the age of AI

Time1:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Elizabeth Tumilty, presenter

Poster Session FREE

Use this quick overview to advocate for your program by sharing how we use Empathy-Driven Art Assignments & Works of Substance (Rigor, Deep Content) to shift focus from technical skill, and concrete answers to opening opportunities for students to externalize complex emotions and connect with their peers' diverse experiences. Show your administrators how we utilize Empathy-Driven Art Assignments in our curriculums every day and how we can influence other disciplines to use the same strategies, ie: In History class, Don't just teach a historical conflict. Deconstruct it to its core emotion—like Fear of loss and have students retrieve a memory of losing something precious, to build empathy so they might understand the historical figures on a human level." And in the STEM subjects, don't just teach data encryption or coding. Share how to deconstruct it to Security vs. Vulnerability. Asking students to recall a time they felt exposed, they understood the human need behind the math."

PS3

Remembering YOU are an artist, when you teach them all day!

Time1:00 pm-1:50 pm

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Nicole Brinser, presenter

Poster Session FREE

How do we recharge as artists when we spend our days motivating others? This is an introduction to the amazing week at SCAD, known as the Educator's Forum. Come hear from a VA local about their experience and why you should consider going.

114

Beyond America’s 250th Celebration: Contemporary Artists & American History

Time2:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomSalon A

Emma Nordin, presenter

High School: Adaptable FREE

How do artists make history matter in the present? While 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, bringing new energy and excitement into talking about American history, contemporary artists have long used the subject for inspiration, critical discussion, and reflection. Engaging with events throughout American history, artists, like Kevin Beasley, Abigail DeVille, and Cannupa Hanska Luger, look to the past to inform the present and beyond.

115

Expanding Visual Literacy Strategies: Bridging Art and Other Content Areas

Time2:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomGerhart Room

Forrest Walter, Jackie Gilleran, presenters

All Levels FREE

Explore innovative ways to incorporate visual literacy strategies both inside and outside the art classroom. We will delve into the importance of visual literacy in our increasingly visual world with practical examples, focusing on strategies or activities that can be seamlessly integrated into art classes and other content-area classrooms.

116

Adaptive Art: Practical Strategies for Neurodiverse and Physically Diverse Learners

Time2:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Kendall Chandler, Grace Martin, presenters

All Levels FREE

Join museum educators from Virginia MOCA and the Chrysler Museum of Art for a hands-on exploration of adaptive art practices that support neurodivergent learners and individuals with physical disabilities that impact motor control. Participants will explore adaptive tools, lesson-planning strategies, facilitation techniques, and environmental modifications that increase access and engagement. Through interactive stations and demonstrations, attendees will experience tested resources firsthand and leave with practical strategies, adaptable materials, and ready-to-use ideas for creating more inclusive art experiences in classrooms, studios, and community settings.

117

Conceptual Paper Weavings: Elevating Diverse Experiences in Commemorating America’s 250th Anniversary

Time2:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Amanda Bryant Poliakoff, presenter

All Levels TICKET REQUIRED

Secondary Fiber Arts students created paper weavings for a district event commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. Students selected two images that, when woven together, answered the prompt: How have people in your family or community helped to shape America’s story? Students drew from diverse and immigrant family experiences to create powerful final conceptual artworks, which were accompanied by artist statements explaining their weavings and their connection to the prompt. This presentation will not only provide participants with practical paper weaving resources and examples, but will also inspire teachers to empower their students to share diverse experiences despite changing cultural climates.

118

What's the Big Idea?

Time2:00 pm-2:50 pm

RoomTea Room

Barbara Laws, presenter

All Levels FREE

Using big ideas to connect art with other subject areas assists students in transferring knowledge across subject areas, developing habits of mind relevant to particular disciplines, and connecting content to students’ own lives. During this session we will go through the process of unpacking a big idea and discuss how it might be used in planning.

119

Click, Create, Inspire: Digital Creator Lab

Time3:20 pm-4:10 pm

RoomSalon A

Erika Ogier, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable FREE

What happens when you mix elementary art, creativity, and accessible technology? The Digital Creator Lab brings it to life. This presentation highlights a hands-on, student-centered club where grades 2–5 explored digital illustration, animation, pixel art, simple game design, and 3D modeling—all using free, Chromebook-friendly tools. Learn how this low-cost, high-impact program was structured, supported diverse learners, and built both artistic confidence and essential tech skills. Walk away with practical ideas, project examples, and an easy-to-replicate model for bringing digital creativity into your own art classroom—no fancy equipment required.

120

Design Thinking and Screen Printing

Time3:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomGerhart Room

Katherine Custer, Emily Cayton, presenters

All Levels $5.00 · REGISTRATION

Every design choice is intentional. This hands-on workshop will use design thinking as a framework for helping educators, and ultimately their students, communicate a clear and meaningful message through deliberate visual decisions. Through close looking at contemporary art and design, participants will define a message, make purposeful compositional choices, and produce an original screen print. A structured share-out will close the session by connecting the making experience to classroom practice. Participants will leave with a finished work, a transferable design thinking framework, and strategies for guiding students through the same intentional creative process.

121

Arts in Environmental Education

Time3:20 pm-4:10 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Dr. Cassie Camara, presenter

All Levels FREE

Art instruction is the perfect place to incorporate conservation topics from protecting our waters to considering use of materials. Learn about "Arts in Environmental Education", part of the VA DCR EnviroLearn professional learning series and in coordination with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. We pay for substitute fees, lodging, meals, and project stipends while you join us for 3 days and 2 nights of expert speakers and outdoor art experiences. Leave with new resources, contacts, ideas, and funds towards a project of your choice. We will share application information, voices from past participants, and send you away with a new game, just for coming.

122

Palette of Possibilities: Deepening Learning Through Art, Inquiry, and Critical Thinking

Time3:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomMiller Room

Carlyn Whidden, Teri Davis, Erin Nye, Michelle Pressley, presenters

Elementary: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

What if every art project became an adventure in discovery? Join us as we explore creative ways to design interdisciplinary art experiences that spark curiosity, critical thinking, and meaningful learning. Discover how to blend inquiry, research, conceptual learning, hands-on exploration, and art skill development to help students dig deeper and create with purpose. Learn practical strategies for collaborating with classroom teachers, library media specialists, instructional specialists, gifted specialists, and other educators to enrich learning and extend student thinking. Through hands-on art making and real classroom examples, you'll leave with ready-to-use ideas that inspire creativity, reflection, student ownership, and high-quality artistic and academic products.

123

Sketchbooks, Skillbuilders, and Limited Time Centers in Choice Based Art Rooms

Time3:20 pm-4:10 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Patricia Hill, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable $3.00 · REGISTRATION

A mix of slides, Q&A, and hands-on activities. After a brief introduction to how my TAB/Choice classroom is set up, participants will get their own copy of a sketchbook that has a flexible structure that students can add pages to throughout the year, filled with skill builder activities and trackers. Then they will participate in a Collage Center opening skill builder, and end with a look at other skill builder activities and Limited Time centers for Colonial Crafts and Clay. A link to resources will be provided so that participants can modify and use them.

124

VDOE Visual Arts Update

Time3:20 pm-4:10 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

Kelly Bisogno, presenter

All Levels FREE

Join the state Coordinator of Fine Arts for a comprehensive update on statewide visual arts education. This session will highlight current data trends, newly released resources, progress on developing a state Fine Arts Diploma Seal, and the review and revision process for the Visual Arts Standards of Learning. Participants will leave with a wealth of practical resources and will have the opportunity to share feedback directly with the Department.

125

Climate Art and Coral Reefs: Creating Ceramic Climate Art

Time3:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomEnsemble Room

Laura Lajin, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable $5.00 · REGISTRATION

Be inspired by Climate Artist Courtney Mattison to create your own personal hand built ceramic coral reef. Participants will have an opportunity to experiment and explore hand building and texture techniques and walk away with their own personal coral reef. Tips for tools, storage, and time management strategies will be shared.

126

Advocacy: Classroom, Community and Beyond

Time3:20 pm-4:50 pm

RoomTea Room

Mike Kalafatis, Dr. Barbara Laws, presenters

All Levels FREE

This is the time for all of us to advocate for our students and our programs. Don't wait for others to do it for you. Learn what the potential challenges and opportunities are, come away with effective strategies, and gain insight on how you can be a strong advocate in your classroom, community and beyond.

127

Higher Level Learning is Easier Teaching

Time4:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Virginia Murphy, presenter

All Levels FREE

Are you doing the work FOR your students? Higher level learning is actually easier teaching. Relying on a strong scaffold, teachers can manage their energy levels better when they open up to student-led activities. In this blended discussion, teachers will generate a hands on list of resources and activities to include higher level learning in their classroom. This is a blended (live and virtual) session, please bring a device that can access the internet (phone/laptop) for maximum engagement.

128

Step into your Future… A Product Design Unit

Time4:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Scott Russell, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable FREE

Come hear about a cross curricular unit with Art and School counseling focusing on students selecting personal career goals. See how our 5th graders explored a design process from brainstorming, to drafts, prototyping, manufacturing, marketing and revision/reflection throughout the process. This unit involves 2D and 3D design, AI integration and technology.

129

Mending Art Classrooms through Community Art Practices

Time4:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

Jazmine Beatty, presenter

All levels FREE

Discover how Mending Walls RVA, a community-engaged mural project, fosters collaboration and social justice in art education. This session will equip educators with strategies to integrate Mending Walls into classrooms, providing real-world applications of art's impact on humanity and promoting interconnectedness and empathy in students.

130

From Classroom to Community: Three Tiers of Engaging, Elevating, and Expanding Art Education

Time4:20 pm-5:10 pm

RoomTea Room

Michael Kalafatis, Ashley Melnichak, presenters

All Levels FREE

Art education thrives when it moves beyond individual classrooms and becomes a connected system of engagement across schools and communities. This session explores a three-tiered framework for strengthening visual arts programs through intentional strategies at the classroom, school, and community levels.

Friday, October 23

201

Plan Less, Teach More- Yearlong Planning for Art Educators

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomSalon A

Alex Holdsworth, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable FREE

Discover practical strategies for organizing an entire school year's worth of planning and projects without burnout. This session will explore how to map curriculum, pace projects, and build flexible systems that support creativity while reducing the Sunday scaries. Participants will learn methods for long-range planning, organizing digital and physical resources, and creating routines that keep the art room running smoothly. Real classroom examples, planning templates, and various other tools will be shared to help educators stay focused and adaptable throughout the year. Whether you are a new teacher or a veteran educator, this presentation offers realistic approaches to working more intentionally and efficiently.

202

Earth As Art: Cross Curricular Soil Painting

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomGerhart Room

Allison Carlson, presenter

Elementary: Specific TICKET REQUIRED

In this hands-on session, art teachers will explore cross-curricular connections that highlight soil as a vital natural resource. They will create and take home their own unique soil painting while learning how to integrate environmental & science SOL concepts into their classroom. I will also share how to connect with regional soil scientists for guest visits and other Get2Green connections. Leave with ready-to-use ideas that engage students in both scientific inquiry and creative expression.

203

Art Teacher Accommodation Plans - Self-Adaptive Strategies for Neurodivergent Educators

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomRhoads Room

Lauren Pierce, presenter

All Levels FREE

For neurodivergent art educators, standard job expectations can present invisible challenges. This session will focus on strategies to combat workplace burnout among teachers with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and ‘AuDHD’ profiles. Participants will collaborate with peers to identify their sensory, social, and executive functioning demands before developing individualized Art Educator Accommodation Plans that outline immediate and long-term steps to advocate for personal and professional well-being.

204

AI & Canva for Curious Art Educators

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomMiller Room

Rebecca Stroop, presenter

All Levels FREE

Worry that using AI feels like “cheating” or lazy teaching? Feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by technology? Do you feel like the systems you’ve done for years “work fine”? Learn how AI like ChatGPT and Canva can help save you time and energy so you can focus on what you do best, teaching art. Learn how to quickly create rubrics, “bad news” parent emails, recommendations, presentation slides, and engaging visuals in minutes instead of hours. We’ll also address common fears and misconceptions about AI and show practical, ethical ways art teachers can use these tools without sacrificing creativity and authenticity.

205

Creative Tech Tools 3.0: Skills, Tools, and Meaning-Making

Time8:00 am-9:50 am

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Erika Ogier, Oscar Keyes, presenters

All Levels TICKET REQUIRED

In this iteration of the Creative Tech Tools workshop, we focus on how digital technologies and methods offer opportunities for young people to connect with contemporary culture. In addition to developing technical skills and competencies, digital art lessons facilitate meaningful artmaking experiences, like their traditional media counterparts. We will address common resistances to incorporating digital tools in the arts classroom and share strategies for crafting activities that resonate with your unique values as an art educator. The presenters will also share their online resources and provide overviews of free, web-based applications that are accessible to any art classroom.

206

From Garbage to Gorgeous! Let's Make a Sustainable Hat

Time8:00 am-9:50 am

RoomAmethyst Room

Karla Kolb, presenter

Middle School: Adaptable $10.00 · REGISTRATION

Teach your students about the importance of sustainability to help preserve our earth’s resources and promote zero waste. Participants will be introduced and inspired by the work of contemporary textile artist, Deborah Rapoport and upcycle various materials that will be transformed into wearable pieces of art. They will create a hat from found objects and materials we often throw away. If time allows, participants can make matching accessories, such as a necklace and bracelet. The Elements of Art and Principles of Design are incorporated into this lesson.

207

Creating with Cardboard Using the Chompsaw!

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomEnsemble Room

Kelly Wasson, presenter

All Levels TICKET REQUIRED

Discover how cardboard can become a powerful, dynamic art material in your classroom. This hands-on workshop introduces art educators to the Chompsaw, a safe and efficient cutting tool designed specifically for cardboard. Participants will learn tool basics, explore cutting techniques, and experiment with building sculptural forms. You'll get plenty of studio time to play, create, and imagine new possibilities for 3D work. This session highlights how accessible materials can inspire bold artistic exploration, large-scale builds, and innovative problem solving. Come see how the Chompsaw can energize your classroom and open the door to exciting new approaches in sculpture and design.

208

Depth Perception

Time8:00 am-9:50 am

RoomTea Room

Danielle Phillipson, presenter

Middle School: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

How do artists create the illusion of distance? It’s a little bit of a magic trick to be able to alter a viewer’s perception of visual space. “Go deep” into strategies for creating that visual “push” that makes objects appear to recede. The techniques learned will be a valuable resource for understanding how artists through the centuries have planned and executed depth. Tools of perspective, repetition, line, color, and value can be applied to any media. In this Blick Art Materials Workshop, we’ll combine and illustrate these tools in the pages of a simple tunnel book.

209

Plumb Photography

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomSalon A

Stuart Robinson, presenter

All Levels FREE

This session explores the history of straight documentary photography in Appalachia with a special feature of Wendy Ewald’s project Portraits and Dreams (1976-1981), which gave cameras to school children in Eastern Kentucky. Ewald’s project – along with the photography by Shelby Lee Adams, Sheron Rupp, Rich-Joseph Fecun, and Stacy Kranitz – will guide a discussion on authenticity, authorship, and the politics of representation. The session will conclude with examples of relevant K-12 photography projects and ideas.

210

Fostering Children’s Visual Thinking and Aesthetic Responses through Cardstock Collagraph Printmaking

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomGerhart Room

Yiwen Wei, Ying-Fang Shen, presenters

Elementary: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

This studio workshop introduces a playful and engaging cardstock collagraph printmaking project designed to foster children’s visual thinking, material engagement, and aesthetic response abilities. Participants will engage in a spontaneous visual thinking process through the creation of a cardstock collagraph print. Rather than teaching a one-size-fit-all, cookie-cutter project, this workshop encourages participants to experience the process themselves and make individualized connections to the specific needs of their students. Potential connections include social emotional learning, character design, natural observation, and collaborative visual storytelling.

211

Rethinking Gender Reinforcement in Art Education

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomRhoads Room

Kay Robertson, Juliann Jacobs, Edward Davis, Kindy Anderson, Dr. Eli Coston, presenters

All Levels FREE

This panel investigates how shifting definitions of gender and sexuality complicate teaching and learning in art education, particularly as schools continue to reinforce gender norms through policy, assessment, and behavioral expectations. Featuring students from VCU's Art Education graduate cohort including a gender-pedagogy specialist, a military veteran researching Black educator representation, a CPRS studying masculinities in art education alongside an Art Education Practicum Professor with the Associate Chair of Gender Studies at VCU; the discussion highlights how traditions have repeatedly supported some educators while sidelining others. Panelists will explore how intersectionality shapes students’ experiences in art classrooms and how educators can respond to these pressures while still meeting institutional requirements.

212

Creative Pathways: Classroom to Career

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomMiller Room

Katherine Custer, Rebecca Davidson, Emily Cayton, Drew Lusher, Dr. Natalia Pilato, Melissa Schappell, Elijah Chumley, Bria Tyler, presenters

All Levels FREE

Art classrooms are full of students who light up when they create, but many hold limiting beliefs about the careers available to them. A passion for art and a trained eye can open doors across the creative economy. This session is for educators and practitioners who want to help students see that full picture. We'll explore how internships, job shadows, and mentorships expose students to the breadth of creative careers, and what makes those experiences truly meaningful. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for rolling out a program like this at your school or institution, a best practices framework , sample materials, and connection to a community of practice. Katherine Custer, Rebecca Davidson, Emily Cayton, Drew Lusher, Dr. Natalia Pilato, Melissa Schappell, Elijah

213

Why Art Ed: Advocating for Art Education

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomEnsemble Room

Hannah Sions, presenter

All Levels FREE

Art education, and art educators, are always advocating for acknowledgement and validation in schools. In this presentation, topics such as creativity, critical thinking, self expression, visual literacy, and art appreciation will be addressed in relation to the benefits of an arts education. The presentation will include research data and recent education data for arts educators to have as an advocacy toolkit.

214

Retirees all Together

Time11:00 am-11:50 am

RoomSalon A

Linda Conti, presenter

Retired FREE

Come and chat with fellow retirees about what we are interested in exploring, find out what retirement is like (wonderful!) if your time is approaching. We never get to sit and talk about this extra time that we have earned with our hard work, so let's make time for what is important. Join us!

215

Carving Conversations

Time11:00 am-11:50 am

RoomGerhart Room

Sandy Williams, IV, presenter

All Levels $10.00 · REGISTRATION

Create a “conversation piece” by carving a store bought candle into a form that holds meaning and is meant to melt. Artists should consider the way the message of the artwork might change when the work is solid, when it is melting, and how it might still be active in its melted form.

216

Arts, Leadership, and the Environment

Time11:00 am-11:50 am

RoomRhoads Room

Abigail Gómez, Allee Coffman, presenters

All Levels FREE

Our proposal explores an enriching case study about the intersection of arts, leadership, and the environment, through the perspective of one of the professors, and one of the students. This session will break down the framework used to incorporate meaningful Visual Arts practices in an interdisciplinary field- in this case, Ecology- while fostering impactful leadership opportunities for both art, and non-art, students. By combining art with environmental advocacy, the classroom becomes a lab for "sustainable beauty." This innovative model of interdisciplinary arts integration helps students and teachers in K12, community spaces, and in higher education, to encourage students to explore art as a tool for ecological survival.

217

Anatomy of a Lesson: Ensuring Belonging in the Art Classroom

Time11:00 am-12:50 pm

RoomMiller Room

Rachel Principe, Emily Cayton, presenters

All Levels FREE

Connect with two presenters from different learning environments, one public school art educator and one museum educator, to dissect approaches for creating an inclusive learning environment. Rachel and Emily will lead a reciprocal discussion to celebrate strategies for cultivating a sense of belonging and centering student voice. Grounded in principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), this session emphasizes actionable approaches that support student identity, creativity, and community while strengthening engagement and classroom culture. Educators will leave with adaptable tools and reflective practices to build more inclusive and equitable art classrooms where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to create.

218

Fun and Easy Origami Lessons for Young Learners

Time11:00 am-12:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Meredith Snyder, Michael Gettings, presenters

Elementary: Adaptable to other levels $2.00 · REGISTRATION

Learn and experiment with several easy and fun origami folding lessons that will excite your students and push the boundaries of their creativity. You will learn how to make a snake, fish, lizard and Danish Heart. These lessons also allow for individual growth and design.

219

Create a Relief Image with Tin Repousse

Time11:00 am-12:50 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

Liz Bahl-Moore, Sally Henderson, presenters

High School: Adaptable $4.00 · REGISTRATION

Discover the exciting art of Tin Repoussé! In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn how to transform a simple line drawing into a dynamic, textured low-relief sculpture. Using embossing techniques on metal foil, we'll explore how raised and recessed areas create depth, textures, and visual interest. This project is adaptable for a variety of grade levels and offers students an engaging introduction to sculpture, design, and texture. Please bring a simple sketch on 8.5" x 11" computer paper that you would like to transfer onto the tin material during the workshop. Participants will leave with a set embossing tools to complete other tin projects in the future.

220

Igniting Inquiry: Slow Looking in Practice

Time11:00 am-12:50 pm

RoomEnsemble Room

Angela Corpuz, Ursula Bell, presenters

All Levels FREE

With instant access to information and constant distractions and notifications at our fingertips, developing habits like slowing down and looking intentionally may help students — and us — reclaim our attention and engage more thoughtfully. What might happen when we slow down and attune to the world around us? In this session, we will explore some of the benefits of slow looking together and how to put it into your practice with researched-based thinking routines to ignite curiosity and creativity, the question formulation technique (QFT) to support critical thinking and to push past one-word responses and artmaking exercises to visualize our intentions and reflections.

221

Embroidery Embellished Portraits

Time11:00 am-12:50 pm

RoomTea Room

Danielle Phillipson, presenter

Middle School: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

Embroidery is one of the oldest forms of textile art, dating back thousands of years and across continents. Today, embroidery is experiencing a strong resurgence stemming from a desire for digital disconnection and for relaxing, meditative, repetitive creative practices. Perfect for introducing embroidery techniques, this Blick Art Materials workshop focuses on adorning a monochrome graphite portrait with pops of color and imaginative embroidered embellishments. A stitch guide will be provided to participants, and embroidered elements can be as simple or elaborate as needed to match the artist's skill level and achieve the intended effect.

222

Creativity Challenges- Behavior Management and Design Thinking in the Elementary Art Room

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomSalon A

Scott Russell, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable FREE

Come hear how for the past several years I have used design thinking challenges as a way to encourage and celebrate meeting classroom behavior goals in my elementary art classroom. See some activity ideas, artist connections and ways to involve different types of team collaboration to encourage creativity development.

223

Carving Conversations

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomGerhart Room

Sandy Williams, IV, presenter

All Levels $10.00 · REGISTRATION

224

Getting To The Root: Co-curating A Community-Engaged Exhibition on Black Hair Culture

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Jazmine Beatty, Olivia Richardson, Alisa Hardy, presenters

All Levels FREE

Initially exhibited at Arizona State University in 2025, Getting to the Root is a contemporary exhibition exploring the cultural, political, and historical significance of Black hair culture in America. In this session, the curators and artists behind Getting to the Root will share insights from this collaborative effort and discuss its impact across K–12, higher education, museum education, and community engagement. This session highlights how cross-divisional collaboration can bridge scholarship, creativity, and public engagement while fostering meaningful dialogue around identity and culture. Attendees from universities, museums, and arts organizations are invited to join us in expanding the exhibition through future iterations and potential hosting partnerships.

PS4

From research in ethnographic museums: Polish Folk Art and its application for educational experiences

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Ava Moskal, presenter

Poster Session FREE

The purpose of the research presentation is to share folk art practices of Poland, how they are innovatively taught in Poland’s ethnographic museums and its potential in the art classroom. Key findings include how the ethnographic museums present Polish folk art with relative context and history to debunk its common projected aestheticization along with why the art techniques were popularly practiced and how teaching them can nurture students’ imagination and motor skills. Sharing this research intends to interrupt the phenomenon of Eastern European art being overlooked in the classroom by provoking students and teachers to be more curious about other cultures besides Western art. Audiences would leave with new strategies on how to teach other cultures’ art without aestheticization along with new project inspiration, lessons, and skillsets for their classroom from Polish Folk art

PS5

Perspectives and Pedagogical Applications for Integrating Generative AI in Art Education

Time12:00 pm-12:50 pm

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Yiwen Wei, Dr. Oscar Keyes, presenters

Poster Session FREE

This research poster presents findings from a workshop in which preservice art teachers engaged with generative AI technologies to explore text-to-text and text-to-image applications. Pre- and post-workshop data shed light on how these future art educators perceive the benefits and challenges of human-AI interaction in art education.

225

1, 2, 3, Eyes on me: Teaching Surveillance Art in the Classroom

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomSalon A

Oscar Keyes, presenter

Higher Ed Educators FREE

From giant googly eyes to interactive biometric performances, surveillance art is a contemporary practice that turns the tools of surveillance back on themselves. As state-of-the-art surveillance systems enter our schools, communities, and homes, these artists provide a means of addressing this topic in the classroom. This presentation offers a historical overview of surveillance art alongside camera-based student examples on the topic. The goal is to make the topic of surveillance more accessible and demonstrate how art has the ability to take the big, all-knowing eye of the camera and turn it back on itself (with a wink).

226

Rosetta Remix: Create Your Own Hieroglyphic Language

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomGerhart Room

Jess Beach, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

Step into the role of artist and codebreaker in this hands-on session inspired by ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Participants will go on a virtual tour of a tomb, design their own contemporary symbolic language, and write secret messages like a scribe. Blending art, history, and critical thinking, this engaging lesson offers practical, ready-to-use ideas students will love.

227

Play-Based Centers & Units for Kindergarten

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Amanda Dulaney, presenter

Elementary: Specific FREE

Join me as we explore how to bring play-based learning to life! We’ll dive into setting up centers that aren’t just fun, but also help our littlest artists build those super important fine motor skills. I'll share my best tips for staying organized and making sure every student has a blast. You'll walk away with a toolkit full of fresh center ideas, resources, and creative ways to keep your Kindergarteners inspired and engaged.

228

Curious About Painting a Mural? Leave your mark in a BIG way.

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

Courtney Lebow, presenter

High School: Adaptable FREE

Join me for a 30-minute presentation exploring the process of creating large-scale murals in educational and community settings. In this presentation I will showcase my portfolio of 15 professional murals, participants will gain insight into projects completed independently, in collaboration with other artists, and alongside students. This session will highlight practical strategies for planning, designing, organizing, and executing successful murals in both high school and middle school art programs. Attendees will learn tips and tricks for managing large-scale projects, engaging student artists, and navigating common challenges. Participants will leave with a straight forward ready-to- use lesson plan handout and a step-by-step guide to help them confidently begin their own mural projects and transform school spaces into meaningful works of art!

229

Fiber Families and Examples

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomEnsemble Room

Erin Tapley, Mary Helen Murden, Ella Gamble, presenters

All Levels TICKET REQUIRED

This presentation provides copious examples of K-16 student work samples in the broad category of Fiber. The presenter (and their students) have created a fiber-based curricula that scaffolds the phenomena of fiber and its uses in art. Students will show examples of their work and related lesson plans and give modest 'how to' demonstrations.

230

Creative Collagraphs with Cardboard

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomTea Room

Brian Kirk, presenter

All Levels $20.00 · REGISTRATION

The teacher will demonstrate the process and show examples. We will be using a cutting blade so age appropriate application is suggested. Using cardboard, from recycled boxes, participants create collagraphs by cutting a design from a 10" square of cardboard. They then choose an additional design on top of the pattern and remove the top layer of paper, revealing the linear corrugation underneath for contrasting texture. After removing the paper, the collagraph is ready to print with block printing ink. Participants ink their collagraphs and print, using a baren to press the inked collagraph onto the paper, then flip and use baren on the other side to complete the print.

Saturday, October 24

301

Hidden Assets: Mapping Your Community to Build Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomSalon A

Jennifer Bockerman, Dr. Sara Wilson McKay, presenters

All Levels FREE

How can unlikely community partnerships spark innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum? Discover how our Curriculum Labs bring together art education graduate students, local educators, and diverse experts—from philosophy professors to field biologists. Visiting the VCU Cabell Library's special collection of book arts, contemporary art exhibits, and a research station, we embraced creative discomfort to build unique learning experiences and collectively generate lesson plans. Learn how to map your own community's hidden assets, navigate collaborative challenges, and establish lasting institutional access to inspire your students.

302

Sculptural Relief Masks

Time8:00 am-9:50 am

RoomGerhart Room

Robert Oppecker, Sally Henderson, presenters

Elementary: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

Create a wall-mounted Sculptural Relief Mask! Participants will use recycled cardboard, butcher paper, and white glue over a reusable multicultural mask-form to create their artwork. This upper elementary lesson has been used successfully for many years with Grade 5 students and can be adapted for middle and high school.

303

Get in the Game- Sports & Art

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomRhoads Room

Mike Kalafatis, presenter

All Levels FREE

Bridge the perceived divide between two worlds- sports & art. Gain tips, lesson ideas and stories through this sometimes uneasy entry point for art educators. Learn about artists who were influenced by sports and athletes who actively make art. Many students play sports. Add more tools to connect with those students and improve engagement.

304

Asian Brush Painting for All

Time8:00 am-9:50 am

RoomMiller Room

Carla Jaranson, presenter

Elementary: Adaptable $12.00 · REGISTRATION

This hands-on workshop is full of ideas and examples for you to experience Asian Brush Painting. Lessons are designed to teach students as young as Kindergarten, however they can be adapted to any age. Learn how to get students excited about using brush strokes to paint animals, landscape, plants and simple calligraphy in black and shades of gray. You will receive a 100 page booklet containing nine projects with examples, handouts and information about tools, resources and a brief background of Asian Brush Painting.

305

Curriculum Maxxing! Lesson Plan Showcase

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Lillian Lewis, Edward Davis, Kay Robertson, presenters

All Levels TICKET REQUIRED

Ditch your mid lessons and get a curriculum glow up! Preservice Art Education students from multiple universities will bring copies of their best lesson plans to share. Attendees will visit multiple amazing preservice presenter tables during this session. Presenters will have a few minutes to pitch their lesson, show lesson work samples, and share a copy of the lesson with attendees. When the bell rings, attendees move to the next presenter. Attendees will be inspired as these preservice students serve fresh ideas and share curriculum that hits different.

306

Radial Cuerda Seca Tiles

Time8:00 am-9:50 am

RoomAmethyst Room

Alissa Ward, presenter

All Levels TICKET REQUIRED

Inspired by the Cuerda Seca technique, create two ceramic tiles featuring striking radial designs made with wax resist and rubber bands. Explore pattern, line, and color while contrasting warm and cool palettes to create movement and visual interest.

307

Adaptive Arts 101: Back to Basics

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomEnsemble Room

Rachel Principe, Erin Smith, presenter

All Levels FREE

Join in a conversation that explores the foundational philosophies of adaptive arts. We will discuss how to find points of entry in your lessons for all learners in your classroom. In this discussion-driven session, we will explore the basic framework of what the adaptive classroom looks like, with your questions at the heart of our conversation. Come with questions ready to discuss in our open dialogue format.

308

VAEA Distinguished Fellow Mentoring Session

Time8:00 am-8:50 am

RoomTea Room

David Burton, Barbara Laws, Linda Conti, All Distinguished Fellows, presenters

All Levels FREE

The VAEA Distinguished Fellows share advice, expertise, and mentorship with art education researchers and art teachers about their emerging research topics, interests, and ideas in an informal, conversational discussion.

309

Alternative Processes With Cyanotype

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomSalon A

Kayla Howell, Emma Taylor, presenters

High School: Adaptable FREE

Have you ever been interested in using cyanotype but you don't know where to start? Do you have experience with cyanotype but want to challenge yourself and push the medium further? Join two VCU pre-service teachers as they discuss and explore alternative cyanotype processes and materials. Learn about wet cyanotyping, toning cyanotypes, cyanotyping with negatives, and more! In this session we will share our experiences with the medium, talk about how to scaffold cyanotype for all ages, and discuss real-world applications.

310

Teacher Tech and Art Arcade

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomRhoads Room

Meredith Cosier, presenter

All Levels FREE

Learn shortcuts and free tools that help maximize your planning time! Simplified instructions on building digital lesson support materials and low effort videos that support art-making modeling. Reduce your tech woes and explore 20+ student-tested websites for playful digital art making experiences. Leave with copies of tutorials, samples, and mini-digital lessons!

311

Lesson Plan Slam by Retired Art Educators

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Linda Conti, presenter

All Levels FREE

Need a room where multiple retired educators set up a lesson plan to share, attendees rotate every 12 min to a different set-up. Four or more different lessons will be shared with a hand-out and demo. Perfect for pre-service attendees and/or classroom teachers.

312

Teaching Future Ready Skills Through Contemporary Art

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomEnsemble Room

Katherine Custer, Heidi Joy Delacruz, presenters

Elementary: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

Contemporary art has always been about more than aesthetics — it asks questions, challenges assumptions, and invites dialogue. Aligned with Virginia's Profile of a Graduate, this session offers attendees an opportunity to participate in both inquiry-based close-looking and art-making exercises as a means of exploring one of the 5 C’s: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Creative Thinking, and Citizenship. Grounded in a school outreach model developed by a contemporary art museum, participants will leave with a replicable framework and practical strategies for using contemporary art to help students exercise their future-ready skills in any classroom.

313

From Ideas to Impact: A DEIA Think Tank

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomTea Room

Rachel Principe, presenter

All Levels FREE

Join us in this brainstorming session that will explore ways we can promote and model Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in our classrooms, schools, and greater communities. We will discuss current VAEA initiatives and goals, while also strategizing and exploring new DEIA ideas. How can we identify barriers while helping to ensure all learners are supported and feel a sense of belonging? Bring your ideas and expertise to this open dialogue brainstorming session.

PS6

Cultivating Conscious Creators: Sustainable Art in Higher Education

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Abigail Gómez, Allee Coffman, presenters

Poster Session FREE

This presentation explores integrating sustainable art practices within interdisciplinary higher education. By combining environmental science with studio art, we examine how eco-friendly materials and waste-reduction strategies reshape curriculum design. Attendees will gain actionable frameworks to foster ecological literacy, empower student artists, and implement green studio practices in their own institutions. Investigate how sustainable art practices can be naturally integrated into interdisciplinary, higher education coursework (specifically bridging environmental science and studio art); assess the practical application, accessibility, and effectiveness of eco-friendly materials and waste-reduction strategies within a university setting; and evaluate how engaging with sustainable arts practices influences students' environmental awareness, responsibility, and long-term creative habits.

PS7

Symbiotic Sensing: Critical Dialogues between Multisensory Ethnography and AI

Time9:00 am-9:50 am

RoomPoster Hall · outside Miller, Rhoads & Gerhart

Hsin Fang, presenter

Poster Session FREE

This presentation introduces Sensory–Algorithmic Dialogic Learning (SADL) as a practical framework for K-16 art teachers. Through sensory inquiry, place-based exploration, and critical dialogue with AI, teachers can help students question algorithmic outputs, recognize omitted perspectives, and create embodied, ethical, reflective, and place- responsive projects in AI-integrated education. This session introduces Sensory–Algorithmic Dialogic Learning (SADL) as a pedagogical framework for art educators navigating AI-integrated classrooms. Through examples and practical strategies, participants will: (1) examine how AI-generated outputs may omit, flatten, or misrepresent the complexity of sensory, cultural, and place-based experiences; (2) engage with multisensory ethnographic practices, such as sensory mapping, sound recording, rubbing, artistic journaling, and poem-making, as ways to ground place-based learning before using AI; (3) design reflective classroom activities that invite students to compare their embodied documentation with AI-generated interpretations; and (4) explore approaches for fostering critical AI literacy by engaging in dialogue with chatbots, questioning AI-generated outputs, and using sensory–algorithmic tensions as opportunities for ethical reflection and artistic response. Drawing on classroom and field-based examples, this session offers practical strategies for transforming AI misalignment into teachable moments. Rather than treating AI as a source of final answers, SADL encourages teachers to use AI as a dialogic partner for questioning, discussion, and creative reinterpretation. The session ultimately supports educators in designing art learning experiences that remain embodied, place-responsive, reflective, and attentive to students’ lived worlds in the AI era.

314

Art in Italia: A Fund for Teachers Journey

Time12:40 pm-1:30 pm

RoomSalon A

Sally Henderson, presenter

All Levels FREE

Join me for a visual journey through Italy, from studying Renaissance masterpieces in Milan, Verona, Venice, and Florence to creating landscape pastel paintings at The Watermill art retreat in Posara. In this session, I will share travel photography, personal artwork created on the road, and insights from my 22-day art and travel fellowship. I will reflect on the Fund for Teachers Fellowship that gave me the opportunity to travel and create art, and answer any questions about the process of navigating the FFT grant application both as an individual or as a team.

315

Materials Playground: Supporting Generative Thinking Through Media Exploration

Time12:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomGerhart Room

Lindsay Duncan, Jennifer Bockerman, presenters

All Levels $3.00 · REGISTRATION

Sustained inquiry supports the development of intuition with materials, meaning-making and begins with deliberate generative exploration as it positions creativity not as a spontaneous event but as a process that can be intentionally cultivated. The creative process requires scaffolding students into generative divergent thinking. Our session aims to use materials as prompts for collective brainstorming while experimenting with the physicality of materials infused with the multiple meanings they embody in various contexts. At the end of this workshop, teachers will have a toolbox of experiences that they can employ to kickstart the creative process in their classrooms.

316

VMFA Distance Learning: How to Bring the Museum to Your Students

Time12:40 pm-1:30 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Maggie McGurn, presenter

All Levels FREE

Want an interactive museum experience for your students without the hassle and cost of travel? Come learn more about the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ Distance Learning Program! This free program, designed for grades 3 through college, gives students the opportunity to visit with a museum educator one-on-one via zoom. Our distance learning sessions are engaging, student-driven, and a great opportunity to exercise thinking skills. This presentation will provide information about the program, lead participants through a demo of the distance learning experience, and will end with a Q&A.

317

Teaching Drawing Basics

Time12:40 pm-1:30 pm

RoomMiller Room

Amber Kuper, presenter

High School: Adaptable to other levels FREE

Learn tips and tricks for teaching students how to improve their drawing skills. Based on 23 years of teaching drawing to students at all levels. Practical approaches to helping students build confidence with their drawing and enjoy the process. Perfect for upper elementary, middle school art and high school levels Art 1 & Art 2.

318

Getting Hired: VAEA Supervision/Administration Meet and Greet

Time12:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Amber Hester, presenter

Pre-Service FREE

Join the Arts Supervisors and Administrators as we collaborate with NAEA Student Chapters to bring teacher candidates and potential employers together. Supervisors will provide information on their districts and the hiring process, answer questions, and share tips for successful interviews. This session will include round-table conversations for students and current art teachers interested in transferring to other districts.

319

Artivism RVA: Social Justice & Collaborative Zinemaking

Time12:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomAmethyst Room

Jazmine Beatty, presenter

High School: Adaptable TICKET REQUIRED

Join us for an interactive workshop exploring the intersection of community-engaged art and zinemaking, rooted in the powerful work of Mending Walls RVA—a Richmond-based mural project that brings together artists across racial and cultural divides to spark empathy, understanding, and healing through public art. In this session, participants will dive into how collaborative public art can serve as a platform for social justice—and how those themes can be translated into grassroots practices like zinemaking to raise awareness, ignite dialogue, and advocate for change.

320

Art in the Making: Using REACH and PLACE to Design Museum-Based Art Education

Time12:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomEnsemble Room

Eman Saad, presenter

All Levels FREE

This session introduces REACH and PLACE as two connected frameworks for museum-based art education. REACH supports museum-school engagement, while PLACE expands the discussion toward public and community engagement. In the spirit of “Art in the Making,” the session frames museum objects, artworks, artifacts, and visual culture as sparks for making meaning, questions, relationships, and community connection. Participants will explore how one object can open different engagement pathways for school and public audiences, and will leave with a transferable framework for designing more participatory museum-based art education experiences.

321

Teaching Anatomy to Students of All Ages

Time12:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomTea Room

Linda Conti, presenter

All Levels FREE

Come try out several tried and true methods to help students learn correct human anatomy. No more noodle arms, too short legs, or eyes on the top of the forehead! Come with a sketchpad and pencil, ready to draw and experience anatomy from a fresh perspective.

322

Connection as a Practice: Accessible Art Programs

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomSalon A

Angela Corpuz, Amy Keenan-Amago, Ursula Bell, presenters

All Levels FREE

The Arc Studio and The Fralin Museum of Art come together through the Art SpArcs program to offer an inclusive, accessible, and inspiring space for artists with developmental disabilities to enjoy the exhibitions and create original art. Find out how we use adaptive forms of communication, create sensory-friendly environments, and apply an expansive, socio-cultural perspective that include people with developmental disabilities to offer meaningful and engaging art experiences. Also, learn about — and share with your students — recently exhibited contemporary artists living with disabilities whose work challenges assumptions about ways of being and ability and invite connection as a practice.

323

Accessible Sketchbook Prompts for Strengthening Visual Literacy in Elementary Learners

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomSalon B

Lauren Pierce, presenter

All Levels FREE

Explore how the practice of sketchbook keeping can boost visual literacy in the elementary art room. Participants will discuss, practice and develop UDL centered sketchbook prompts that support diverse learners by integrating written, oral, and visual communication strategies.

324

Spark Joy: Using Free Little Art Galleries as Teaching Tools

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomSalon C

Stacey Schwartz, presenter

All Levels FREE

Building on the idea of Free Little Libraries, a Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) contains tiny art that is added to or taken from, an outdoor structure. Thanks to national media and growing awareness, FLAGs are now emerging in cities nationwide and around the world. As of today, nearly 800 FLAGs can be found in front of homes, libraries, schools, museums and community centers. In this session, conference attendees will learn about the Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) movement and the ways in which FLAGs can be used as teaching tools in K-12 and higher education classrooms from the perspective of an Arts Manager and Free Little Art Gallery curator.

325

The Final Critique: Mastering End-of-Year Routines for Art Teachers

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomRhoads Room

Amanda Berneche, Jaime Barnett, presenters

High School: Adaptable FREE

From portfolio reviews to legacy projects, the end of the school year is both the most meaningful and most overwhelming time in the art room. In this session, we'll dig into how to design end-of-year exam projects that double as powerful celebrations of student growth — while keeping checkouts organized and your sanity intact. Leave feeling equipped, inspired, and actually ready for summer.

326

Upcycled Fabric Patch

Time1:40 pm-2:30 pm

RoomMiller Room

Megan Lane, presenter

High School: Adaptable to other levels $3.00 · REGISTRATION

Participants will give small scraps of fabric new life by creating a patch. Choose between adhering scraps to a background and securing them with embroidery or stitched line on the machine, and sandwiching small scraps between a background piece of fabric and securing them with a water soluble sheet that is stitched over, then washed off. We’ll discuss ideas for patch creation and use in the classroom setting.

327

The Art and Legacy of Dr. John Biggers: A Deep Dive

Time1:40 pm-3:30 pm

RoomAmethyst Pre-Function

Kirstie Hein Sadler, Kenlontae’ Turner, presenters

All Levels FREE

Discover artist and educator Dr. John Thomas Biggers through research of a doctoral student, independent curator and former Curator of Collections at Hampton University Museum. Attendees will learn about the life, artistic practices and legacy of Dr. Biggers and his journey into art education through his mentor, Dr. Viktor Lowenfeld. Attendees will be provided with meaningful teaching resources which can be adapted for all grade levels.

Virginia Art Education Association

Celebration of Art and Educators Awards Reception

Mending Walls Walking Tour

Vendor Reception & Artisans’ Showcase

Vendor Focus & Door Prize Giveaway

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Thursday, October 22

Friday, October 23

Saturday, October 24

My Schedule