EDITOR’S LETTER: MARCH 2026

Every year, my understanding of what it means to live an art life evolves, deepening my appreciation and reinforcing my role as an active participant in a constantly changing world. Through the power of art, creating, responding, and connecting to build the best community we can—in and out of the classroom—is an ongoing process. As art educators, we put this into practice by delivering the best art curriculum we can that is relevant to the lives of our students and the world we live in.

A Contemporary Perspective
Recently, I reconnected with artist Anne Labovitz to learn about her work, creative process, and the art of healing. In 2023, I saw her work at the Rochester Art Center in Minnesota. The exhibition, titled The Nexus of Well-Being and Art, consisted of an atrium installation, Will to Meaning, which greeted me as I entered the art center. I remember being mesmerized by the large-scale, repetitive symmetrical loops and vibrant colors. As I walked through the galleries, I reflected on the context of the exhibition and what it means to take care of ourselves and others. What does this look like in our practice, work, and home environments?

In This Issue (Links to be updated)
Embedding contemporary practices in our teaching, classroom culture, and curriculum opens the door to unlimited opportunities to further engage our students in their lives, relationships, and communities. This provides ways to reflect, process, and act on what is meaningful and relevant to them.

In the early childhood lesson, “Even Bigger Than Us,” Sue Liedke introduces her pre-kindergarten students to the work of Mickalene Thomas. In awe, students brainstorm their own personal version of what a powerful female portrait looks like today. Using craft and nontraditional materials such as gems, silk flowers, broken jewelry, and seashells, they collaboratively define their heroine.

In Trista Johnson’s lesson, “Sweet Art: Wayne Thiebaud–Inspired Desserts,” middle-school students learn about cast shadows, value, perspective, form, and color theory through the study of desserts. Using various references, they create their interpretation with chalk pastels or oil pastels.

At the high-school level, Adriana Gardner’s “Navigating Nonobjective Art” introduces her students to the world of abstraction. Students are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones to create meaning through color, shape, texture, and composition.

When you are fully committed to your practice, it encompasses your entire being and becomes what you are about as an art educator and human—a passion driven by purpose. Contemporary art provides an outlet to have those difficult conversations. In what ways will you challenge your students to think critically about life, society, and the future?