Congratulations to Lisa Donovan

The Arts Learning Irene Buck Service to Arts Education award honors an individual for distinguished and prolonged service as an advocate for arts education. The recipient exemplifies commitment and service to, and support of the arts, and arts-education communities. It was named to honor Irene Buck, President of the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education for many years, who was the first recipient in 1998.

This year’s recipient is Lisa Donovan. Lisa is a professor in the Fine and Performing Arts Department at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in North Adams, Massachusetts. Previously she was an associate professor of Education and the director of the Creative Arts in Learning Division at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Lisa has been a passionate advocate for arts education her entire career. As Director of the Creative Compact for Collective Impact (C4) project to create a blueprint for arts education for Berkshire County, and co-director of the Berkshire Regional Arts Integration Network (BRAINworks), funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, she has worked to increase access to the arts for Berkshire students making a positive impact across the County.

Lisa has broad experience working as an arts educator and administrator in a variety of organizations including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Berkshire Opera Company, Barrington Stage Company, University of Massachusetts’ Department of Theater, Boston University’s Theater, Visual Arts and Tanglewood Institutes.

In addition, Lisa served as executive director of the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education and is the coeditor and author of a five-book series on arts integration published by Shell Education, Strategies to Integrate the Arts Series, and has published widely on arts integration and rural arts education.

Her research Leveraging Change: Increasing Access to Arts Education in Rural Areas (Donovan & Brown, 2017) was featured by the National Endowment for the Arts. Lisa was voted Best Professor in 2017 as part of the Berkshire Eagle’s Best of the Berkshires competition and was a finalist in the 2018 Berkshire Trendsetters Award for Creative Economy Standout.

SAVE THE DATE!

The 34th Annual Champions of Arts Education Advocacy Awards Celebration will be held on November 17th at Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566

This year’s event will be live AND livestreamed! Stay tuned for more information about this event.

September 7, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

In Memoriam: Alicia Fine

Make a donation to support MassArt Youth Programs

Fleeting, light and fast
Hummingbird at my window
Alicia Fine

Alicia: Artist, friend, educator, sister, aunt, daughter, granddaughter, your mighty presence abounds. The hummingbird visits, reminds me of your energy, and I wonder, where are you?

I have known Alicia for over ten years since Ali began teaching in MassArt Youth Programs. Her dedication and caring attention to her students sparked many young people on their creative path.

Alicia turned many young artists on to the art of metalsmithing. In the hot summer months, on the 3rd floor of Collins, heat rising, with fans blowing, Alicia would keep students hydrated with popsicles. Always with an attentive smile, no detail was missed. At the end of each summer, one would always see Alicia moving a VERY LARGE display case to the gallery because carefully displaying and highlighting students beautiful work was essential.

Along with the work Alicia did at MassArt in Youth programs, I also know Ali from the Massachusetts Art Educators Association. We served together on the Awards Committee. One of the strengths Alicia had was her focused attention to details. Alicia helped to reframe the Awards Committee the year we served, so that the process was more transparent, and the nominations were judged externally. We enjoyed being able to honor Art Educators in this way.

Ali, Thank you for the many students you have touched, here is a story from one, Jessica: Ms. Fine, as I knew her, was and is a cherished part of my life and someone who I truly will never forget. I was a former student of hers…way back in 2002 (hard to believe that is almost 20 years ago)! She recently told me that I was her student her very first year of teaching which surprised me. I was your quintessential “damaged” adolescent who had lost all hope in adults at the age of 14/15 when I met her. She became, and remained, a guardian angel to me. It’s hard to put into words what she did for me. She took me under her wing and gave me hope in myself and in adults. She wrote letters to the court on my behalf when there was a custody case between my parents. She found spaces for me to eat lunch in the school when I didn’t want to be around other students. She helped me navigate friendships and encouraged me to join after-school activities. She helped me apply to colleges and stayed in touch every step of the way once I began college. After college, she guided me when I changed careers (to become an educator!) and attended my wedding. We would get together in person about once a year to catch up on things. 

When I visited her in May we spoke about how we first met in her painting class and how she didn’t give up on me like others had… she told me she went to the guidance office and asked the counselor for advice and the counselor had said “just keep showing up” and Ali sure did… and never stopped. No matter how old I got. It wasn’t just the small actions she did… it was that I knew she would always be there.

At my high school graduation. On the top of my cap, where most kids thank their parents or put a quote, I put “THX MS. FINE”. 

Thank you Alicia, Ali, Ms. Fine. You are missed.

Offered by Liz Reiser with permission from Jessica Delande to share her beautiful story.

If you have additional images you would like to share of Alicia Fine, please send them to webmaster@massarted.com. 

Make a donation to support MassArt Youth Programs

September 1, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

September MAEA Watch Party

The PD Committee has finalized details for the 2021-2022 Watch Party Discussion Series. The first session is Sep 8 at 6:00 pm ET.  Here you can find more info & register!
The MAEA Watch Party Discussion Series are ten companion discussions to the monthly NAEA webinars, facilitated by MAEA leaders, members, and selected guests who bring their unique experiences to each month’s topic. Watching the NAEA webinars is not a prerequisite, however doing so will enhance attendees’ general knowledge of the topic. For the 2021 – 2022 Watch Party series, MAEA facilitators will engage participants in open conversation, share helpful resources, and promote a supportive space for all to join in. These discussions will relate back to the theme of the NAEA webinars, but will include stand alone content so that they are not exactly the same.
August 23, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

New ED&I Director-Elect & President-Elect

The MAEA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome two new board members. Please join the MAEA Board of Directors in welcoming Emily Moran as our first ever ED&I Director-Elect and Maureen Creegan-Quinquis to the role of President-Elect.
Emily will be leading our ED&I Committee in the important work of ensuring that our organization honors and includes people from all communities, especially those who have been historically excluded. If you are interested in getting involved in our ED&I Committee, please email Emily at edi@massarted.com.
Maureen is stepping into a short term as President-Elect and will be taking over as President come January, 2021. If you are interested in connecting with Maureen, please contact her at presidentelect@massarted.com.
We are so excited to welcome these two new board members and look forward to continuing this important work.
August 4, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

ESSER Funding & Advocating for your Art Program

Earlier this summer, MAEAs Advocacy Liaison, Alice Gentili attended an important advocacy webinar organized by NAEA. This Town Hall webinar focused on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funding (ESSER) and Visual Arts, Design, and Media Arts Education.
If you haven’t already, the MAEA Board suggests you first start by reading Alice’s article in the most recent edition of the MAEA News (Vol. 7–No. 1 Summer Edition 2021). Her article can be found on page 26. There you will find more information about harnessing ESSER funding, as well as additional links to resources. Then we suggest you check out the slide deck from the NAEA Town Hall and the webinar, if you have time.
Additionally, if you have any questions or ideas for how MAEA can support your advocacy efforts, please reach out to Alice at advocacy@massarted.com.
August 3, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

Summer 2021 MAEA News Out Now

In this issue you’ll find the President’s Message from Melissa Mastrolia, as well as articles and updates from Editor Jane McKeag, Helen Downey, Heidi Hurley, Alice Matthews Gentili, Lydia Gruner, Patty Klibansky, John Nordell, and Laura Evonne Steinman.
Thank you to everyone who submitted articles and updates for this edition of the publication!
Learn more about submitting on our website or email Jane McKeag at editor@massarted.com if you have any questions or would like her to walk you through the process.
August 2, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

August Art Education Zoom Series

We are happy to share we will be offering an August session for practitioners and educators in higher education, supervision, and pre & in-service educators who are involved in the Visual Arts teacher preparation on August 19 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm. This session will be facilitated by Jane McNeil-McKeag and Sohee Koo. The group will share critical reflection and strategies for online and in-person supervision and assessments in Visual Arts. The topic for this session is Art Teacher Assessments in MA: Reflections on CAP & Other Teacher Preparation Frameworks. Learn more and register.

August 1, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force Update

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force is happy to share that we have completed the work of drafting our ED&I Task Force recommendations. These recommendations were approved by the MAEA Board of Directors at the July board meeting.

The ED&I Task Force based these recommendations on the recommendations shared by NAEA and revised to fit the needs of MAEA. We would like to note that the ED&I Task Force considers this list of recommendations a living document that will evolve as the ED&I Committee works to execute on these recommendations, under the leadership of our new ED&I Director-Elect, Emily Moran.

July 31, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0

Center for Instructional Support 2021 – 2022 Program Catalog

MAEA is happy to share two arts specific offerings from the Center for Instructional Support. More information about the Arts Leaders Network which runs meets 10/20, 11/10, 12/8, 1/19, 3/16, and 5/4 can be found on our PD Opportunities page.  There you will also find information about the webinar offering: Working with the Guidebook of Culturally Diverse Artists & Artworks which is being offered twice – once on August 18 and October 18 at 4:00 pm.

For more information and to register for both of these offerings, please visit the PD Opportunities page. If you have questions about these offerings, please contact Dawn Benski, Dawn.M.Benski@mass.gov.

While you are at it, sign up for DESE’s Office of Literacy and Humanities newsletter.

July 5, 2021 Melissa Mastrolia 0