NominationS ARE OPEN!  for the 2024-2025 SY through August 31, 2025

Now more than ever, districts and schools Are recognizing the importance of our Visual Art programs and the enormous benefits they offer for student well-being. Let’s celebrate this support!

Schools and districts receiving this endorsement demonstrate the importance of their visual arts programs with:

• Rigorous and Inclusive Programs: Arts programs demonstrate rigor using standards-based curricula taught at every level by highly qualified and certified arts educators.

• Highly Accessible Programs: Art programs are offered to all students at every level of education with a sustainable budget for the visual arts.

• Highly Visible Programs: Schools and districts identify their programmatic accomplishments, curriculum for all levels, art staff, mission statements, and arts events using their school websites and social media.

Use this One-Page Checklist to advocate for your visual arts programs and become an 

Outstanding Visual Arts Community! 

Nominations ARE OPen! for the 2024-25 SY

Outstanding Visual Arts Community Scoring Instrument

ANNUAL TOP 5 EVENTS FOR PA ART EDUCATORS

September: Arts Education Week
Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education (Americans for the Arts, 2018).

October: National Arts & Humanities Month & 

PAEA Conference: 2023 Erie, October 6-8

National Arts & Humanities Month was established in 1993 and is celebrated every October in the United States. It was initiated to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives and to begin a lifelong habit of participation in the arts and humanities. It has become the nation’s largest collective annual celebration of the arts (Wikipedia). Conference 2023: In Process - We as artists are always in-process, and as we adjust to changes in the education system as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are mindful of how the very fabric of American culture is shifting—the process of recognizing the privilege many of us have, the process of making amends in broken cultural relationships, and the need for decolonization are all in process and coming into clearer focus.  As we “re-warp” the fibers of our understanding, we can recognize that in the process of making, we must weave the threads of new ideas together.  In the making, we find meaning, and in togetherness, we find we are one.  

December: PAEA Flag Contest
To promote Youth Art Month, The Council for Art Education coordinates Youth Art Month activities at the national level. The primary event is the State Flag Program. Using the national or state theme, each state coordinates a flag design contest, with the winning design made into a flag for display in the Youth Art Month Museum at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) annual National Convention (NAEA).

March: Youth Art Month with PAEA - View the 2023 Virtual Exhibition &  Awards Ceremony
The Council for Art Education (CFAE) administers Youth Art Month. Youth Art Month encourages support for quality school art programs and promotes art material safety. The Council for Art Education (CFAE) administers the program at the national level. The program provides a medium for recognizing skills developed through visual arts experiences unlike any other curriculum subjects, including problem-solving, creativity, observation, and communication. Art shows, special exhibits, fundraisers, and school and community activities take place annually, traditionally during March, to celebrate visual art education for grades K – 12 (NAEA).

April 26, 2023: Arts Advocacy Day
This is our big day on Capital Hill! Click HERE to find some easy ways that you can build support for your program, from local to state.