Back in January, I learned that I’d been selected to be a member of the National Art Education Association’s School for Art Leaders class of 2023, part of a 25-person cohort from across the United States. I met this lovely group of art educators online for the first time in June, and then we gathered for a week of in-person intensive workshops in July at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. We’ll continue working together until our in-person “graduation” celebration in Minneapolis next April.

Much of our time was spent listening and discussing ideas in a classroom at the museum, but we did have occasions to explore the galleries and even to make use of the collections in some of our small group work together. (Piece here by Fred Eversley, with the museum in the background.)

Despite the steamy temperatures of mid-July in Arkansas, we gathered outdoors for ice cream and great barbecue and walks together on the sculpture paths. We connected so quickly and found so many common threads among us. These art educators are a lovely group of people! Each of us is now embarking on a series of experiments on our path of arts leadership, gathering in small groups online. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such fine folks and I am eager to see where this takes each of us.