Maine Art Education Association

Team East

Thank you to the new president, Heidi O’Donnell, of the Maine Art Education Association for contributing this blog post on her recent trip to Team East.

MAEA president, Heidi O’Donnell, past president Sandy Brennan, Treasurer Suzanne Goulet

The Eastern Region Leadership Retreat was recently held in New Bedford, MA and I was able to enjoy the experience with Sandy Brennan and Suzanne Goulet. Vibrant discussions around community building, advocacy, research and knowledge, learning, and organizational vibrancy intermingled with local gallery tours, a private viewing of the New Bedford Art Museum, wine and chocolate tasting, a dinner train event, and a guided downtown walk lead by docents affiliated with the New Bedford Whaling Museum made this a most enjoyable experience!

We were able to connect with other leaders, share highlights and frustrations, discuss important topics such as teacher evaluations, supporting state association members, document reviews, and general association issues. The National Art Education Association has decided that the Regional retreats will be held only in odd numbered years and that National Leadership Retreats will be held in even numbered years. Next year we will be traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico (July 24-27)!

Please contact me at heidiaemaine@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us and learning more about being involved with the Maine Art Education Association. If Santa Fe doesn’t work for you, I am excited to announce that in 2015, Maine will host Team East! We will be looking for members to help with the planning of this exciting event! Again, please contact me if you are interested about Team East or any other topics related to Maine’s visual art professional organization.

Honoring Sandy Brennan

2014 Maine Art Educator of the Year

Argy introducing Sandy

At a ceremony held recently at the University of Maine Museum of Art Sandy Brennan was honored for her years of dedication as an art teacher and advocate for arts education. Sandy was named the 2014 Maine Art Educator of the Year. Sandy was nominated by Manon Lewis and included the following in Sandy’s nomination:

Sandy Brennan has been conducting business as the Maine Art Education Association’s President or Co-President for some 10 years, donating hours upon hours of her time to our professional organization. I feel that it is high time that she receives praise and recognition for her professionalism and her dogged dedication to the Maine Art Education Association.

Sandy is congratulated by MAEAs Awards program chair Suzanne Goulet

Sandy is a lifelong learner who is presently enhancing her (35 plus) years of teaching art with work towards a master’s degree from, Lesley University, in the integration of the arts (visual art, poetry, dance/movement, drama, music, technology, and storytelling). She takes these courses with a group of teachers from many disciplines and grade levels. Among her classmates is the music teacher from Well’s Elementary School. As teaching colleagues, they have already collaborated in a multitude of art and music lessons with their students, making bridges between their own disciplines and among various other disciplines school-wide. The collaboration that they engage in is what good education is all about, making learning mean- ingful through connections.

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