The Preservice Art Education Conference focuses on professional development for students in undergraduate art education programs, hosted by Miami University Art Education. We invited local and regional PK-12 licensure programs to collaborate and build community alongside other art educators, many of whom were alumni of the Miami University Art Education program! Students and faculty from Mount St. Joseph University, the Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University Fort Wayne, University of Cincinnati, and University of Dayton were among the attendees, as were two incoming Miami University first-year art education majors (fall 2024) from local high schools. On February 11, 2024, over 85 preservice and in-service art educators came together in the Art Building to celebrate teaching art and discuss contemporary issues in the field at the third Preservice Art Education Conference at Miami University.

This conference is specifically focused on the needs and concerns of preservice art teachers, which can be overlooked in art education professional development venues.

This conference:

• Provides early networking opportunities
• Highlights local art teachers and alumni as presenters
• Generates early interest, involvement and advocacy for art education
• Gives preservice students an opportunity to present their work

Presenters covered topics including (but not limited to!) diversity, equity, and inclusion, lesson planning, classroom management, disability/accessibility, creativity, assessment, creative technologies, museum resources, career planning, and leadership.

During the initial planning meeting in December 2023, led by Dr. Stephanie Danker, Associate Professor of Art Education, and Dr. Luke Meeken, Assistant Professor of Art Education, the framework of past Preservice Art Education Conferences (2017 and 2019) were reviewed. Current Miami University Art Education students were tasked with suggesting themes for presentations, inviting special guests, holding activities and workshops, and volunteering to facilitate the conference.

The conference opened with a keynote address by Dr. B. Stephen Carpenter II, who is the Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, as well as a Professor of Art Education and African American Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. His keynote was entitled, “If Teachers Teach What Do Learners Learn?:  A Sampling of Educational Experiences”. As described on the conference website, Dr. Carpenter’s research in art education includes “...curriculum theory; professional development for pre-K-12 teachers through contemporary art; public pedagogy, participatory art practices, and socially engaged art practice; critical art education studies; and the global water crisis as curriculum and social action.” He also presented at Miami University's John and Betty Michael Autobiographical Lecture in Art Education on Monday, February 12 at the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum. The title of his hour-long autobiographical lecture was “Learning Lessons and Constructing Knowledge: Reflections on Life, Educational Experiences, and Art”. A recording of this lecture is available here on the John and Betty Michael Lecture Series website.

Throughout the day-long event, there were a total of twenty-three presentations given, including three PechaKucha style presentations by current Miami University Art Education students; first year Keira Warren, senior Rachelle Swan, and junior Griffin Wayne. Additionally, seniors Alivia Link and Claire Farrow facilitated a workshop about the Japanese Shibori fabric dyeing method. Junior Reilly Powers and sophomore Isa Obradovich presented a session with Dr. Stephanie Danker on becoming involved in professional development opportunities through our discipline’s professional organizations, Ohio Art Education Association (OAEA) and the National Art Education Association (NAEA). Other presentations included Carrie Barnett (art teacher at Summit Country Day School, former president of OAEA and former Miami University Art Education part-time faculty), who presented a session entitled, “Explore Your ‘Why’: Igniting Passion for Art Education,” which featured a journaling activity. Recent alumna Molly Ensor (‘23) also presented a session called, “A Very Educational and Chaotic First Semester,” in which she elaborated on her first year of teaching middle school art. A full list of presenters, as well as the conference schedule can be found linked here.

Senior Lacey Clark screen-printed custom “swag bags” that were later filled with goodies (i.e., free art materials!) from this year’s conference sponsors. Dixon Ticonderoga, Prang, XP Pen, Arrtx, MIYA Arts, Sketch for Schools, the Cincinnati Art Museum, Royal and Langnickel, Moda Brush, and Sax were all contributors to the bags. Sophomore Isa Obradovich, who served as this year’s Director of Sponsorships, used her social media platform of over 2 million followers to reach out to these sponsors. These art supplies were both included in the swag bags and raffled off as door prizes. The grand prize was the XP Pen Artist Pro 16 Drawing Display (Gen 2), which was generously donated by XP Pen for the conference. First-year Miami University Art Education student Azure Kim won the XP Pen tablet!

The conference wouldn’t have been complete without Kris Bakke from Royal and Langnickel Brush Company and Susan Kelly from Moda Brush. Kris and Susan made the trip from Wisconsin to facilitate two full workshops along with donating complete brush sets for every attendee, and makeup brushes for those who attended Susan’s session with Moda Brush. Isa Obradovich connected with Kris at the OAEA conference in November 2023, and this ongoing reciprocal relationship provided benefits for both the participants at the conference and the brush company.

The Miami University Alumni Association provided “Love and Honor” gift bags for the presenters at the conference who were alumni of the Miami University Art Education program. This was a special way to recognize our alumni and thank them for supporting and mentoring our students.

The Miami University Center for Career Exploration and Success (CCES) was also involved in the conference. Sarah Keefe (CCES Assistant Director and Liaison for the College of Creative Arts) and her colleague Charlie Chen presented twice, detailing the importance of CV/resume and portfolio development as well as providing other important resources available to preservice art educators through the Center.