A path worth walking: Terry Haynes reflects on a career in art education and what it means to be recognized for work that started in the third grade
Adjunct faculty member of Art Education receives Ohio Art Education Association’s Museum Division Award
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Published
A path worth walking: Terry Haynes reflects on a career in art education and what it means to be recognized for work that started in the third grade
Adjunct faculty member of Art Education receives Ohio Art Education Association’s Museum Division Award
•
Published
Terry Haynes, right, with artist Roberto Lugo. Haynes is an adjunct faculty member of Miami University's Art Education program and also a docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Haynes was recently named the 2026 recipient of the Ohio Art Education Association's Museum Division Award.
From a young age, Haynes had a strong pull toward the arts. By third grade, her teacher was catching her drawing so often during class that it eventually sparked a deal between the two; if Haynes could stay focused during school hours, she could spend her Saturdays at the Toledo Museum of Art Program. It was there, surrounded by art and the conversations it sparked, that Haynes first imagined what it would look like to do this for a living.
Since joining Miami University's adjunct faculty in 2019, Haynes has taken on a variety of roles within the Art Education department. She supervises student teachers through field observation and ART 419 and facilitates art experiences in ART 195, guiding pre-service educators as they find their footing in the field.
The extent of Haynes' work does not end here, though, as she also serves as a docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum since 2017. A typical docent is a well-educated guide who leads groups through a museum's exhibits, explaining the history and answering questions as they go. Haynes likes to take a different approach to her role by asking questions herself. 'Tell me about this artwork? What story does it tell? What do you see in this painting? Do you like this painting? Why? What would you ask the artist?' It is this philosophy, to be the 'guide on the side instead of the sage on the stage,' that art is less about having the right answers and more about sparking the right conversations, that caught the attention of the Ohio Art Education Association.
When the Ohio Art Education Association announced Haynes as the 2026 Museum Division Award recipient, it marked a meaningful milestone; she became the first non-employee of the Cincinnati Art Museum to receive the recognition. When Haynes found out, she immediately reached out to those who played a role in the recognition: Stephanie Danker, associate professor of Art Education, who nominated her, Luke Meeken, assistant professor of Art Education, and Emily Holtrop, Director of Learning and Interpretation at the Cincinnati Art Museum, both of whom submitted recommendation letters on her behalf.
And while Haynes was flattered by the award, it ultimately represents something bigger than a personal achievement. It stands as a reflection of what becomes possible when universities and museums work together, bringing Miami and Cincinnati's art communities closer in the process.
Throughout this interview, Haynes did an incredible job emphasizing the importance of art on a societal level. Art is a way to express ideas on culture, math, science, history, movements, etc., all in a way that can be interpreted and felt by the audience. As Haynes pointed out, art also serves as an escape for many children, such as her, who struggle in a regular classroom and find relief and joy through artwork. Yet, in times of economic struggle, it is art programs that get funding cut first, even as hard times are often when art matters most, offering inspiration and a space for artists to make sense of the world around them. This is something that Haynes works to bring to light and hopes to see change so that creative individuals of all generations get the chance to do and create what they love.
The 2026 Museum Division Award may be the latest chapter in Haynes' story, but it is far from the last. Her path, from a Toledo art program on Saturday mornings to the halls of Miami and the Cincinnati Art Museum, has never really been about the destination. It has always been about the conversation.
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg.