Thank you for your interest in submitting a proposal for presentation at the 2026 NAEA National Convention. Please carefully review the following information before beginning your submission. 

The 2026 NAEA National Convention is taking place March 5-7, in Chicago, IL. NAEA invites YOU to share your expertise, face-to-face, with educators who are committed to NAEA’s mission to “Champion creative growth and innovation by equitably advancing the tools and resources for a high-quality visual arts, design, and media arts education throughout diverse populations and communities of practice.”

For this national professional learning experience, we are seeking diverse and engaging proposals that do the following for the field of visual arts, design, and media arts education:

• Capture learner-centered pedagogy, art project or challenge-based, and are supported by research and practice-based evidence;
• Provide hands-on experiences with new techniques and skills;
• Explore the use of research strategies to inform teaching practice and/or advance the field;
• Inspire leadership among educators and/or learners;
• Engage meaningful debate and dialogue about emerging issues and trends that define the field:
• Showcase strategies for designing curriculum and assessment that support art standards; and/or
• Present diverse ideas in response to timely issues and trends.

Individual Presentation Limit

Members may submit multiple presentation proposals for review. However, no member will be accepted for more than two presentations as principal presenter and no more than two presentations as co-presenter (excluding business meetings, divisional or regional functions, or a special presentation at the invitation of the National Convention Program Coordinator).

NAEA Membership

NAEA membership is REQUIRED for all presenters and co-presenters at the time of submission and at the time of presentation at the 2026 NAEA National Convention. Membership will be verified upon submission and again prior to presentation in Louisville. 

If accepted for a presentation, all presenters and co-presenters must register for the NAEA National Convention. 

Join, renew, or verify your NAEA membership prior to submitting your presentation proposal:

• Online here.
• Call 800-299-8321, 8:15 am-4:30 pm ET, Monday-Friday.
• Mail the NAEA membership form with payment to NAEA, 901 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
  Please note: mailing a membership form may create a delay in activating/renewing your membership. We highly recommend completing the process online or by phone to avoid any issues when submitting your proposal.

Presenters and Co-Presenters

Up to five (5) names may be listed for any session (the main presenter who submits the session and up to 4 co-presenters).

Members may submit multiple presentation proposals for review. However, no member will be accepted for more than two presentations as principal presenter and no more than two presentations as co-presenter (excluding business meetings, divisional or regional functions, or a special presentation at the invitation of the National Convention Program Coordinator).

Membership Questions?

E-mail membership inquiries to members@arteducators.org or call us toll-free at 800-299-8321, 8:15 am-4:30 pm ET, Monday-Friday. 

Presenter Resources

• Please review the 2026 Call for Presentations Guidelines. 
• Please download and review NAEA's Inclusive Practices: Presenter & Presentation Guidelines provided by NAEA's Disability Studies in Art Education (DSAE) Interest Group.
   

Please note: the 2026 Call for Presentations will close at 11:59 PM on June 30, 2025 in your designated time zone.

About This Opportunity 

The NAEA Board of Directors guides the association forward on behalf of NAEA’s members and their learners.

The Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for the following NAEA Board of Directors positions: Regional Vice Presidents. Please consider nominating NAEA members you know who have an interest in national leadership and service. 

Nominations for 2026 National Officer Positions are due June 27 at 11:59 PM in your designated time zone. 

About the Positions

Regional Vice Presidents represent art educators from each of NAEA’s four geographic regions (Eastern, Western, Southeastern, and Pacific), leading the work of the Delegates Assembly and other key Association initiatives to propel the organization forward.  

See NAEA’s Region designations here. 

Term: 

Regional Vice Presidents serve a 4-year term: 2 years as the Regional Vice President–Elect, followed by 2 years as the Regional Vice President. 

The term as Elect begins at the conclusion of the 2026 NAEA National Convention in Chicago, IL, March 2025, and ends at the conclusion of the 2028 NAEA National Convention in Phoenix, AZ.  At that point, the candidate selected as Elect would become the Vice President from March 2028 through March 2030.  

General Responsibilities Include: 

• Plan and preside over the Delegates Assembly convening at the National Convention;
• Facilitate and serve as members of the Platform Working Group for the review of NAEA Platforms and Position Statements;
• Coordinate Region-specific nominations and submission review for the NAEA Awards Program; 
• Organize and chair the NAEA Regional Leadership Conferences (in odd-numbered years), and inform the planning and organization of the National Leadership Conference (in even-numbered years); 
• Serve on and chair committees, and working groups as needed;
• Act as the Board liaison to NAEA Interest groups; and 
• Assist with the planning and implementation of quarterly Leader2Leader meetings, and other events and meetings as needed. 

Please see a more detailed version of the Regional Vice President job description here.

Eligibility

• Must be a current member with a minimum of 3 cumulative (not necessarily consecutive) years of membership, with the exception of Preservice nominees.  
• Must not be a staff member of NAEA. 
• Accepts the nomination by signing the consent-to-serve form. 
• Demonstrates leadership ability for the office through prior experiences that include a track record of leadership and service at local, state/provincial, regional, and/or national levels. 
• Nominees for Regional Vice President must hold membership at the time of nomination in the Region for which they are nominated.  
• Nominees for Division Directors must be members in the Division for which they are nominated for at the time of nomination. Additionally, nominees for Division Director must be certified, licensed, and/or employed within the job-alike category for which they are nominated, with the exception of nominees for Preservice Division Director. 
• Nominees for Preservice Division Director must be a current NAEA Preservice member and must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (intended for art education licensure or certification), spending 51% of time as a student at the time of nomination.  

How to Nominate or Self-Nominate

If you are nominating someone else for the position of Regional Vice President, we encourage you to use the Submittable “Collaborators” feature. This feature allows you to enter the email address of the nominee, which then sends them an automatic email invitation and provides them with access to work on your form with you in real time. Utilization of the Collaborator feature is highly recommended to ensure a complete nomination. Please note: Only the nominator who starts the nomination form can submit the nomination when it is complete.
 

Self-nominations are also welcome. If you are self-nominating, please complete the form in its entirety. There is a section near the end of the form that allows you to enter the name and email address for the person who will supply your letter of support. Once you complete this section, the person you enter will automatically receive an email from Submittable asking them to supply the required information. 

For questions about the nomination process, please contact Sydney Krieck, NAEA Executive Project Manager at skrieck@arteducators.org. 

NAEA seeks nominations for Commissioner positions on the NAEA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) Commission. The ED&I Commissioners must demonstrate a commitment to social justice work as it supports NAEA’s vision and purpose. 

 Call for ED&I Commissioners in the following Divisions: 

• Supervision & Administration 
• Middle Level 

Duties of ED&I Commissioners:
 

• Be passionate about ED&I work and exercising emerging or sustaining leadership in the field; 
• Be able and willing to initiate impactful projects related to implementing the final recommendations of the ED&I Task Force; 
• Be able and willing to serve for at least 2 years and participate at an in-person summer convening with the ED&I Commission each year (travel costs covered by NAEA);
• Assist in prioritizing ED&I-related themes, issues, or questions as submitted to the ED&I Commission; 
• Assist in exploring funding sources to support the efforts of the working groups and the ED&I Commission; 
• Assist in identifying exemplary ED&I work and/or reporting on this work and initiating recommended actions to serve our field; 
• Act as a public representative of the ED&I community in the field of visual arts education; and 
• Assist in identifying candidates and in selecting a slate of candidates for Chair of the ED&I Commission, Associate Chair, and Commissioners to be submitted to the NAEA Board of Directors for approval. 

Qualifications for ED&I Commissioners:
 

• ED&I-related experience at the represented level; 
• Be a passionate advocate for the ED&I needs of members within the represented Division; 
•  Experience with ED&I work within their community and/or organization; 
• Ability to demonstrate strong organizational and administrative capabilities;  
• Emerging or sustaining leadership within NAEA or comparable organization or institution at the state and national levels; 
• Act as a representative of the ED&I community within the visual arts education field; 
• Hold current NAEA membership in good standing; and 
• Ability to serve for 2 years as a Commissioner. 

The ED&I Commission will be meeting in person in Alexandria, VA, July 21–22, 2025; selected candidates should  ideally be available to attend this  meeting. Travel and accommodations will be  covered by NAEA. 

Nomination Process:
Submit your nomination (self-nominations encouraged) online before 11:59pm ET on June 23, 2025.  
Nominations for all positions must include the following materials: 

• Nominee CV or resume;
• Two letters of support that address the nominee's qualifications for meeting the required criteria for serving  on the ED&I Commission (pdf file preferred). 
• Responses from the nominee to the following: 
• A statement of interest for serving on the ED&I Commission. Responses should be provided through the lens of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The statement should also incorporate your personal qualifications. 
• An overview of your experience, service, scholarship, and leadership in the work of establishing greater equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. 
• Address how you have increased your knowledge and awareness of issues surrounding equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Explain how your background, knowledge, and skills support your ability to contribute to diverse perspectives. 
• List questions, challenges, and issues you believe need to be addressed in the work of establishing greater equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. 

Nomination deadline: May 19, 2025 at 11:59pm ET 

Appointments: No later than June 19, 2025 

Questions? Please feel free to contact the following: 

Anna Pilhoefer, ED&I Commission Past Chair: apilhoefer@sbunified.org 

CJ Matz, ED&I Secondary Commission:  

Ray Yang, NAEA Director of ED&I and Special Initiatives: ryang@arteducators.org 

This form is to be submitted ONLY by a State/Province Association President or Awards Coordinator  to notify the NAEA Awards Coordinator of who has been selected by the State/Province to receive  recognition as the 2025 “State/Province Art Educator.”  THIS IS NOT A NOMINATION FORM.  If this form is not submitted by the State/Province Association President or Awards Coordinator as specified above, it will not be considered valid.

This form is due by 5:00 PM ET on October 31, 2024. 

Committed to supporting art educators in their quest to excel as leaders, NAEA has designed a 21st-century flagship program: School for Art Leaders at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

The Program

Committed to supporting art educators in their quest to excel as leaders, NAEA has designed a 21st-century flagship program: School for Art Leaders at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
The Program
Since 1947, art educators representing all states, regions, and work contexts have provided volunteer leadership service that has shaped the field of art education and positioned the National Art Education Association (NAEA) as the premier professional community for art educators. Committed to supporting art educators in their quest to excel as leaders, NAEA has designed a 21st-century flagship program: School for Art Leaders. Utilizing experiential action learning modules and in-depth conversations with expert leaders, this program provides participants with needed learning experiences and skills to successfully lead in any environment.
The program design is geared specifically for art educators and is based on the work and recommendations of the NAEA Leadership Development Task Force. Seven different leadership models provide a strong basis for the content of the work, with specific individual and group exercises woven throughout the experience.

• The NAEA Art Educator Competency Model (developed by the Leadership Development Task Force) 
• Thurber–Zimmerman Empowerment/Leadership Model 
• Mindful leadership 
• Total leadership 
• Emotional intelligence 
• Storytelling  
• Strategies to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in leadership 

Those selected for each annual class will contribute to the development of an extraordinary community cohort committed to leadership excellence. Upon successful completion, participants become members of the national School for Art Leaders network and are positioned to excel as leaders in education, the arts, and advocacy. 

Eligibility and Qualifications 

Art education professionals who are new to leadership as well as those who have a range of leadership experience and are looking to enhance their skills are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will:

• Have 5 years or more of professional practice and currently working as an art educator (school/school district, museum, college/university, local or state agency, community organization, or other work context). 
• Commit to fully participating in the 10-month program, including possible inclusion in a longitudinal study on leadership impact in art education upon completion of the program. 
• Have organizational support from a state association and/or your school/institution. 

NAEA expects that program graduates will actively apply their leadership skills in ways that will enhance their institutions and/or NAEA and its affiliates, and contribute a positive impact on the field of art education. 

2026 Program Commitment 

The purpose of the School for Art Leaders at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to provide an experience that both inspires and prepares art educators to become active leaders of positive change in the field of art education. 

A cohort of no more than 25 participants annually will form a learning community throughout this 10-month program. Participants will meet in a kickoff orientation in preparation for a 5-day intensive experience, taking place at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Following the intensive experience, participants will continue to learn and support one another through application of leadership experiments and debriefing sessions through coaching and mentoring for the next 9 months.  

Selection Process 

Each annual class is limited to 25 individuals. Each application is carefully read and scored by a minimum of three reviewers to determine an average score, and all final decisions are made by a Selection Committee. The reviewers consist of a diverse group of SAL Alumni, and the Selection Committee is made up of a diverse group of active NAEA leaders. Both reviewers and the Selection Committee remain anonymous throughout the selection process. The reviewers and Selection Committee are committed to NAEA’s goal of supporting the leadership development of art educators toward creating a pool of leader-ready individuals to advance the profession and the field. Selection will be based on the committee’s evaluation of the readiness for experience and application of leadership skills. The selection will also ensure diverse professional experience, volunteer service, geographic designation, ethnicity, and other indications of leadership potential. 

Timeline 

• Application Open: Friday, August 1, 2025
• Application Close: Wednesday, October 1, 2025 
• Notification of Acceptance: Friday, November 21, 2025  
• Program Start: Thursday, June 4, 2026 
• Crystal Bridges Retreat: Monday, July 13, to Friday, July 17, 2026  
• Additional Key Program Dates: SAL 2026 Calendar  

To nominate a state/province association or interest group for a newsletter or website award, please complete this form no later than October 1, 2024. 

Questions? Please email Sydney Krieck at skrieck@arteducators.org