The Advocacy Issue, April 2026

Published on 1 April 2026

Description:

Art teachers advocate for their programs, their students, and themselves. Young students foster positivity and intergenerational connection through mandala displays, elementary students collaborate with a local artist to problem-solve and construct papier-mâché houses, middle-school students create illustrated dictionary pages to share with the community, high-school photography club students use their voices to advocate for a full class, and more.

31 articles from this collection:

The Advocacy Issue, April 2026

Professional Development from Davis

Davis provides learning that is relevant to contemporary approaches and issues. Presented on-demand, virtually, or in-person by master teachers who are experts in the most current classroom pedagogy and the practical, discipline-specific, targeted application of research-backed content. Learn from educators who are recognized leaders with a plethora of applicable classroom successes.

Editor's Letter | Advocacy

SchoolArts editor-in-chief Frank Juárez shares four advocacy practices that have shaped his career and highlights this issue’s articles.

Co-Editor's Letter | Advocacy

Guest editor Melody Weintraub reflects on the power of art advocacy and how meaningful creative experiences can impact classrooms and communities.

Amaco Brent

AMACO (American Art Clay Company, Inc.) continues to be a leader and innovator for ceramics in the areas of art, technology, and education. Get ideas and inspiration for your next Lesson Plan project.

Table of Contents

Blick Art Materials

As a leading art supply company, we provide artists, educators, students, and our associates with the tools, assistance, and training needed to grow, innovate, and reach their creative potential. BLICK Art Materials is family-owned and serving artists since 1911.

Meeting Individual Needs | Advocating for Artists with Disabilities

Megan Bye demonstrates how students of all abilities can fully engage in art when provided accessible tools and supportive spaces.

Early Childhood ClipCard | Recycled Material Assemblage

Young students create assemblages using at least five types of recycled materials and apply a monochromatic color scheme.

Elementary ClipCard | Flower Quilt Block

Elementary students investigate quilt design, pattern, and composition by creating nine-square flower quilt blocks.

Middle School ClipCard | Clay Mini-Golf Course

Middle-school students design and sculpt mini-golf holes using clay, focusing on artistic design and functional structure.

High School ClipCard | Figure Abstraction

High-school students draw human figures and then transform them through simplification and abstraction.

Mayco Colors

Mayco Colors has been helping art educators inspire creativity in the classroom since 1954. We provide high-quality ceramic products, along with ready-to-use lesson plans and educational resources designed specifically for the classroom.

Museum Musings | Advocacy through Connection: How Museums Build Community

Natalie C. Jones highlights how museums connect students, teachers, and preservice educators to hands-on arts experiences that foster advocacy.

Advocacy | Policies Matter: Shaping the Future of Art Education

Amanda Galbraith presents a project-based assignment introducing policy and advocacy concepts to preservice and early career students.

Media Arts Essentials from Davis

The new Media Arts Essentials program bundles Davis’s media arts resources with resources on how to facilitate successful implementation. Get sixteen hours of professional development with a wealth of lessons and support for educators across grades K–12.

Contemporary Art in Context | Tina Yu

Contemporary sculptor Tina Yu blends mythology, nature, and a playful “cute and creepy” aesthetic to create richly detailed fantasy sculptures.

Bailey

Bailey ceramic supplies and pottery equipment.

Awareness, Understanding, & Change through Advocacy

A high-school educator offers practical strategies for using student art to advocate for programs and inspire meaningful connections.

Art Read Think Day: Illustrated Dictionary Pages as Visual Voice

Middle-school students create illustrated dictionary pages to share with the community, exercising their literacy, language, and communication skills.

Strengthening Connections through Advocacy

Elementary students transform their school walls through collaborative art projects that celebrate individuality and bring their community together.

NAEA Curated Collections

NAEA is thrilled to introduce its Curated Collections, a dynamic new resource designed to provide members with easy access to topic-specific resources. Through Curated Collections, educators can explore relevant materials, best practices, and tools organized around key themes in art education.

Advocacy in Focus: Picturing the Impact on Student Engagement

High-school students in Amanda Tutor’s photography club advocate for a full class, gaining skills and recognition far beyond the classroom.

Small-Town Advocacy

Dr. Jane B. Montero shares how middle-school students showcase their artwork in local businesses through the annual ArtWalk, along with arts advocacy tips.

Skutt

The #1 kiln used in schools. Kids Need Clay helps schools start and sustain ceramics programs with full support.

Tiny Houses: An Artist-in-Residency Experience

Elementary students collaborate with a local artist to construct papier-mâché houses, engaging deeply in hands-on learning and problem solving.

Preservice Perspectives on Advocacy

Young students explore community-centered art-making as they create a mandala display that fosters positivity and intergenerational connection.

Square 1 Art

Simple. Creative. Art Fundraiser. Celebrate your child‘s art on keepsakes and raise funds for your school!

Focus In | ArtsEd Tennessee: Expanding Access, Empowering Educators

An arts education nonprofit unites educators, advocates, and partners to strengthen arts programs and expand opportunities for students.

Experience Art from Davis

Filled with opportunities to build critical thinking skills and choice, this brand-new middle school art curriculum for grades 7–8 is designed to help students express their ideas and feelings through meaningful art-making and see themselves as part of the learning process.