Dear Colleagues,

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve such a wonderful organization! We truly have incredible, motivated, and creative members who make this association what it is. I am proud to be a part of such a longstanding tradition of excellence. If you are new to MAEA, please take some time to view our website and see what we are all about and how being connected with this dynamic network of art educators can make a difference in your teaching, artistry, and professional development.

At the January 2012 MAEA Council Meeting, I began my term as president with a brief statement about my hopes for our organization. I entitled this message-“MAEA: Flourish Together”. I presented each council member with a small gift which also included a copy of a photo I had taken on a hike while my husband and I were in Colorado last summer. Hiking at high altitudes, I was struck by the beauty of the plants and flowers that were able to grow out of rocky soil in such difficult terrain, yet this vegetation was flourishing!

Later, when thinking about the challenges we face as a state and nation, the image of these plants came into my mind. It is so easy to get bogged down by all of the economic, institutional, cultural, and personal challenges we face on a daily basis, that we risk losing sight of why we became involved in the field of education in the first place. At the Michigan Art Education Association, we are believers in the concept of “strength in numbers” and that collaboratively we accomplish far more than any one person can achieve on his or her own. We also believe in the strength and resilience of the creative spirit. It is our aim at MAEA to provide you with strategies, tools, and learning opportunities which will most impact your professional growth as an art educator, and this is what we have been doing for more than sixty years:

The Michigan Art Education Association was founded in 1949 and has provided an exemplary networking opportunity and collegial support for visual art educators throughout Michigan ever since. The Michigan Art Education Association is unified with the National Art Education Association and is currently one of the largest state art organizations in the Nation. Our mission is to promote quality visual arts education through leadership, service, and professional development. We achieve our mission with the support of the high degree of volunteerism from our members, as well as collaborations with ArtServe Michigan, the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Education Association, and the Michigan Youth Arts Association.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us and if you haven’t already, we sincerely hope you will choose to become a part of this dynamic organization!

Best Regards,

Amy Marsh
MAEA President
amyelizabethvp@gmail.com

Michigan Art Education Association offers many services and opportunities for students and teachers, including the following:

• Regional and state student art shows for elementary, middle school, and high school art students
• The Michigan Youth Arts Festival celebrates the accomplishments of high school art students in collaboration with other arts organizations, and includes a Governor’s Traveling Show
• State Superintendent’s Office Student Art Exhibit
• The National Art Honor Society Scholarship competition for NAHS Chapter members
• MAEA Memorial Endowment Fund Art Educator Scholarship for college students in Art Education
• Student Sponsorship Scholarship is awarded for pre-service educators to attend the annual conference with paid registration
• MAEA Professional Development Scholarship for our teaching members to enhance action research and classroom collaboration
• Art Educator of the Year, Distinguished Service, and Retired Art Educator Awards are given annually to outstanding members in recognition for their excellence and service in art education
• Art Acquisitions competition is conducted in collaboration with Michigan Education Association, and is a juried exhibition of member’s art with honors, purchase, or distinctions possible
• MAEA Annual Conference is the largest source of professional development for art educators in the entire state, offering SB
• SB CEU’s or college credit
• MAEA Summer Professional Development Institute is offered at Western Michigan University for SB CEU’s or college credit.
• www.miarted.org is our premier website with links to other art education related sites, exhibits of student work and regular updates of MAEA information. Our policies, publications, and membership forms are also available on this site.
• The ArTeacher Publication is a quarterly publication to inform, inspire, amuse, and challenge members (available online)
• All MAEA forms are available on the website, pertaining to: all competitions and awards, the annual business report, the constitution and by-laws, council directory, and workshop proposal form for the upcoming annual conference.
• NAEA membership, publications in Art Education, and NAEA News

M.A.E.A. has a high degree of volunteerism from its members and collaboration with ArtServe Michigan, the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Education Association

THE MISSION OF THE MICHIGAN ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
IS TO PROMOTE QUALITY VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION THROUGH
LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT