Maine Art Education Association Advocate of the Year: Carol Trimble

Carol Trimble honored at the Youth Art Month opening, Portland Museum of Art

Carol Trimble, former director of the Maine Alliance for Arts Education, received the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) advocacy award on March 10th at the opening for the state Youth Art Month opening at the Portland Museum of Art and shared these words. The award was presented by Sandy Brennan, president of the MAEA. Below is the message she shared with students, families, and educators that evening.

I am so pleased  to participate in this celebration of inspiration and imagination and pleased to be here with teachers, administrators, parents, and representatives of organizations, like the Portland Museum of Art, all of whom actively support arts education for these wonderful students.

I’m grateful to be honored by the Maine Art Education Association.

I have such a deep respect for Maine’s arts teachers who are talented, inspired, hard-working and very dedicated.

I have worked closely with MAEA’s former president Trudy Wilson and current president Sandy Brennan on several  successful advocacy campaigns to strengthen arts education for Maine students.

One of the lessons we learned is that parents are the very best advocates. So I’d say to the parents here today: use your power to ensure that your children receive the best education to continue the development of their imaginations. Take a picture at the event today and share it by email or in person with someone on your school board. Let them know what important work our art teachers and their students are doing. And along with that, support your local cultural organizations, especially those, like the Portland Museum of Art, that find effective ways of working with and supporting local schools, teachers, and students.

To the student artists whose work we are celebrating today, I’d like to say: keep using your imagination! We want to see what your imagination comes up with next! Take advantage of all the opportunities you have to develop your imagination and your skills for expressing yourself. Your imagination will help to build your future.

Carol speaking at the opening, Portland Museum of Art