Student Opportunity – Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Bow Seat’s 2026 Ocean Awareness Contest – Your Story, Our Ocean – encourages youth to explore the many ways our ocean sustains, protects, and inspires us. Bow Seat invites young creatives to think about their personal connection to the ocean – whether coastal or landlocked – through the value it brings to their lives. The benefits of the ocean are widespread and multifaceted, from food production to climate regulation to artistic inspiration. Go through the sub-themes and explore the topics that resonate with you. Share how the ocean has shaped your story through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. How does the ocean sustain, protect, and inspire you?

Be sure to check out Bow Seat’s past winners and explore the broader Resource Studio for ideas and guidance.

Quick Contest Details:

  • Free to enter
  • Open to students worldwide between the ages of 11-18
  • Cash awards up to $1,000
  • Submit by June 8, 2026
  • Submissions accepted in:
    • Visual Art: Handcrafted
    • Visual Art: Digital
    • Creative Writing
    • Film
    • Poetry & Spoken Word
    • Performing Arts
    • Interactive & Multimedia
    • Explore the Submission Requirements to learn more about the different categories.

Be sure to check out other student opportunities on our website here. 

April 23, 2026 Melissa Mastrolia 0

Awards Update – Rising Star Secondary Student Award

MAEA is proud to announce we’ve revised our requirements for the Rising Star Secondary Student award to cast a broader net and celebrate high school juniors and seniors pursuing higher education in a visual art field. The MAEA Board has also just voted to award the winning Rising Star award winner $500.

Nomination Forms must be submitted by June 1, 2026 and supplemental materials from nominees must be submitted by July 12, 2026 . All nominees will be notified in the fall, and the official awards ceremony will be held in October 2026.

Check out the nomination requirements here for this and all of the other MAEA awards. 

April 23, 2026 Melissa Mastrolia 0

MAEA Meetup: Addison Gallery of American Art

Join us for a spring MAEA Meetup! Bring a friend- meet other art educators and enjoy the exciting Addison Gallery! (as always, admission is free)

Advance registration required. Space is limited. Cost: Free

Teachers will meet in the atrium at the main entrance and start with a short close looking activity in the exhibition Welcome Home, then have time for independent exploration of all shoes on display! Exhibitions on view.

We will get refreshments in Andover center afterwards if folks are interested.

When: Sunday, April 12, 2026 12:00 pm 
Where: Addison Gallery of American Art, 3 Chapel Avenue, Andover, MA
Register here! 

March 14, 2026 Melissa Mastrolia 0

Central MA Regional Exhibit – YAM at WAM

The Worcester Art Museum is looking forward to hosting the 2026 Youth Art Month Central Mass Regional Exhibition!

The exhibition will run February 23–March 31, 2026.

The Youth Art Month exhibition is free and open to the public. You can find the exhibit in the Higgins Education Wing of the Museum, located off the Lancaster Lobby, accessible by the staircase or elevator on Lancaster Street. View Museum hours.

A celebration will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 1–3 pm. Details to be announced soon.

About Youth Art Month

Organized by a committee of teachers in conjunction with the Worcester Art Museum. This regional exhibition is open to all Central MA schools. Drop off will be at the Worcester Art Museum (please see submission guide for dates and times). This year each teacher may submit up to 4 works at no cost, regardless of MAEA membership. All work meeting exhibition requirements will be accepted.

Information for teachers

Registration link – Registration deadline: 2/20/2026
Submission information

Contact information

George Smith, Worcester Art Museum Studio Programs Coordinator. georgesmith@worcesterart.org

February 1, 2026 Melissa Mastrolia 1

Call for Submissions: MAEA Recognitions Virtual Exhibit

The MAEA Recognitions Virtual Exhibit is accepting submissions now through January 16, 2026. This juried exhibit is open to students in grades 9-12. Teachers submitting work must be MAEA members. Check out the exhibit submission deadline and schedule below and visit the Recognitions Exhibit page for everything you need to know.

MAEA Recognitions Submission Schedule:

  • Open for Submissions: December 4, 2025 – January 16, 2026 – Deadline extended
  • Jurying Process: January 19 – February 4, 2026
  • Notifications of Acceptance by February 5, 2026
    (YAM Submissions Due February 6, 2026)
  • Online exhibit posted to MAEA website by February 27, 2026

Consider donating today to support the MAEA Art Educator Awards that are part of this exhibit.

Questions? Email student_recognition@massarted.com

December 7, 2025 Melissa Mastrolia 0

2026 Youth Art Month Poster/Flag Contest – Check out this opportunity

YOUTH ART MONTH Poster/FLAG CONTEST:

This year’s this theme for YAM and the Poster/Flag Contest this year is “The World Needs Art”.

  • The flag contest is open to all students in grades K-12.
  • Each teacher may submit up to 15 student entries.
  • Grand Prize of $300 art supply gift card for winning student. PLUS $100 art supply gift card for your classroom. And to top it off, the grand prize work will be displayed at NAEA’s national convention in Louisville, Kentucky!
  • In addition, $100 art supply gift cards will be awarded to one student winner in grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. PLUS an additional $100 art supply gift card for the winning students’ classrooms.
  • Digital entries will be accepted through January 23 – Deadline Extended.
  • Click here for the Youth Art Month Flag Contest Submission Form.
    Please note you must be signed into a Google Account to access this form due to the file upload settings. If you have trouble submitting the form at school please try at home. Your school/districts internet settings may see this form as an issue. If you try it at home and you still have trouble submitting this form, please reach out to youthartmonth@massarted.com for assistance.

Read more about the submission requirements here. 

December 7, 2025 Melissa Mastrolia 0

Attend the MAEA Awards Ceremony – Sep 19 at Phillips Academy, Andover

Congratulations to the 2025 MAEA Art Educators of the Year! The MAEA Board of Directors are looking forward to honoring and celebrating the 2025 MAEA Art Educators of the Year at our awards ceremony on September 19, 2025 at 6:00 pm at Phillips Academy, Andover, MA. If you plan to attend, please RSVP here. 

Please visit the award page for more information about each award winner. 

MAEA Lifetime Achievement Award – Helen Downey, Marlborough Public Schools
Massachusetts Art Educator of the Year – Jane Fay Baker, Falmouth Public Schools
Elementary Art Educator of the Year – Lauren Gould Donahue, Acton-Boxborough Regional Schools
Secondary Art Educator of the Year – Mosie (Maureen) Senn-McNally, South Hadley High School
Museum Art Educator of the Year – Dyango Chavez-Cutino, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year – Allison Wolf Prado, Framingham Public Schools
Community Art Educator of the Year – Beth Bailey, Creative Pathways
Independent Schools Art Educator of the Year – Ian Torney, Milton Academy
Distinguished Service Within the Profession – Marcia Nadeau, Pentucket Regional School District
Distinguished Service Outside the Profession – Sophia Moon, Essem Art Studio
August 17, 2025 Melissa Mastrolia 0

MAEA Museum Meetup: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – Aug 2

Join us for a summer MAEA Museum Meetup! Teachers will meet up at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to connect with other art educators and explore the museum!

Advance registration required. Space is limited. Cost: Free MAEA will be reserving tickets for registered attendees. 

Teachers will meet up at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. MAEA will provide entry for up to 20 guests.

Entry is timed and must happen between 11:00 – 11:30 am. Please plan to meet MAEA President Cari DiCicco at the front entrance to receive your ticket. If you use your own MFA membership or purchase your own ticket you can enter at any time.

When: Saturday, August 2, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115
Register here! 

July 16, 2025 Melissa Mastrolia 0