November found MAAE Board Vice-Chair Tom Tobias, Phyllis and Tom Pasley attending the annual meeting of the Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies. Dr. Cynthia Williams Phelps and the Missouri Federation of Square and Round Dance’s Merle Hall and David Shafer presenting at the annual Missouri Society for Health and Physical Education Conference. 

Fine Arts Education Week plans are rolling along and we’d love to have you involved. We have space remaining to welcome students to our Show-Me Arts Civics Learning Experience on April 8, and a few remaining slots to welcome performers on Fine Arts Education Day - April 9. Registration for Friday’s Dulcimer Workshop for School Music Educators is now open. If you are able to join us for any of the other events, please do!

Celebration Summit on Friday evening

Dulcimer Day on Saturday 

Tuesday “Capitol Concerts” featuring student pianists.

MAAE awards Nomination Deadline Extended  to Dec. 15, 2025. NOMINATE TODAY!!

• Creativity and Innovation in Teaching - honoring arts educators who inspire their students and others.

• Administrator of the Year - recognizing school leaders who support the arts, their arts programs, arts teachers and students.

• School District of Distinction - applauding school districts with a depth and breadth of arts education success.

• Arts Education Community Champion - heralding local arts advocacy

• Government Advocate for Arts Education - recognizing either elected or non-elected governmental positions who champion the arts. learn more

Enjoy the wonderful flurry of activity (and maybe some snow flurries, too) throughout December and have a happy, safe and healthy holiday season. 

- Phyllis Pasley

In November, I had the opportunity to co-present at the MOSHAPE (Missouri Society of Health and Physical Educators) Conference at the Lodge of the Four Seasons.  My co-presenters were David Shafer, President of the Missouri Federation of Square ‘N Round Dance Clubs, Inc., and square dance caller Merle Hall. Our workshop was Footsteps to Fitness: Square Dancing in Physical Education–Integrating square dance in physical education can enhance students' social skills, coordination, and movement abilities through a rich cultural tradition. Attendees had the opportunity to learn basic square dance steps, as well as applications for engaging students in the PE classroom. There were over 25 attendees who participated in square dance activities and the session was well received! We look forward to more square dance workshops in the future. 

If you are interested in learning more about Square Dancing and our workshop, check out our MOSHAPE 2025 Workshop resource folder.  If you are interested in learning more about advocating for dance education, check out our Dance in MO site. The MAAE Dance Committee met in October and shared a variety of opportunities (such as a "Dance for Food," concert, where admission was a bag of groceries) for promoting and advocating for dance and other arts in Missouri.

ELEVATE SAVE THE DATE: January 12, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

Inclusion in the Arts: Breaking Barriers as a Low Vision Artist

NaTasha J. O’Brien is a blind/low vision artist, educator, and speaker who champions inclusion in the arts. She is Professor of Theatre and Program Director at Missouri Southern State University, where she directs productions, develops innovative curricula, and builds bridges between students and communities. An actor, playwright, musician, and advocate for the intersection of arts and agriculture, NaTasha uses her authentic voice to inspire resilience, cultural pride, and meaningful connection through creativity. 

"From the stage to the classroom, my journey as a low vision actor, vocalist, and teaching artist has been filled with both obstacles and triumphs. This talk explores the realities of navigating the performing arts world with a disability—what inclusion really looks like in practice, how communities can foster accessibility, and the successes that come when creativity meets resilience. Audiences will walk away with practical tools to better support artists of all abilities." - O'Brien

In Case You Missed It! November ELEVATE: Rachel Johnson explored the role of music education in gifted education, her journey as a gifted educator, student engagement and projects, and classroom strategies.

11.3.25 - Gifted Music with Rachel Johnson

The Jackson County Court judge’s ruling to strike down Missouri’s book ban law is a victory for the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. As a statewide coalition, representing 60,000 Missourians, we are especially pleased that this ruling affirms and respects the role of librarians to serve students in Missouri’s schools.  Here’s more information on the court ruling from the Kansas City Star

In conjunction with its 150 th Anniversary, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District is excited to provide a venue for students within the Eastern District to express their view of “What do courts mean?” through artistic expression. Entry in the competition is free and open to all students in grades 1-12, including public, private and home-schooled, within the territorial jurisdiction of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.

Artwork will be judged based on the following criteria: originality, design, technique, content, and appeal to the theme of “What do courts mean?”.

View full details and entry form here.

Entry and Deadline

Each entry must include a completed and signed Student Entry and Release Form, along with the original artwork. NOTE: Teachers may contact us for a bulk-submit option for classes.

Entry must be postmarked or hand-delivered no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2026, to:

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District
Attn: 150 th Anniversary Art Contest
815 Olive, Suite 304
St. Louis, Missouri 63101

Please read the guidelines completely. All guidelines must be followed or entry will be disqualified.

Guidelines

• All entrants must be students in grades 1-12 within the territorial jurisdiction of the Missouri

Court of Appeals, Eastern District for school year 2025-26, spring semester. To see the geographic boundaries of the Eastern District, visit: https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=151

• No entries will be accepted from employees, employees’ spouses, or relatives of an employee or an employee’s spouse by second-degree consanguinity.

• All artwork must relate to the theme of “What do courts mean?” and must be original.

• Only the following mediums will be accepted: painting (oil, watercolor, etc.), drawing (pencil, ink, pastels, charcoal, etc.), prints (block prints, silkscreen, etc.), mixed media (must use more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.), and/or collage (two-dimensional only).

• Artwork must be no larger than 16” x 20” and no smaller than 8” x 10”and can be any shape so long as maximum dimensions are not exceeded. Layout may be horizontal or vertical. No frame is necessary.

• No three-dimensional entries will be accepted. Entries must be flat and on paper, thin canvas, or similar.

• No photography or computer-generated entries will be accepted.

• Only one entry per student is allowed.

• Student should sign or initial entry in lower right corner.

• Students should enter only original artwork. Plagiarism is not acceptable, including work copied from photograph, painting, graphic, etc., created by someone other than the student. Students should visit the Scholastic website: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/copyright-plagiarism/

Student Information and Release

All students must submit a Student Entry and Release Form (p.3-4 of this document). Page 4 contains a legal release and certification that the artwork is original in design and execution. The student, a teacher, and a parent or guardian must sign where appropriate. Entries without signed originality certifications and artwork releases may not be accepted.

Both pages of the Student Entry and Release Form must be securely attached to the back of the artwork to certify the originality of the piece. Please retain a copy for your records.

Awards

The art will be blind judged by judges of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.

Entries will be divided into groups by grade:

- 1 st and 2 nd grades = Lower Elementary

- 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th grades = Upper Elementary

- 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th grades = Middle School

- 9 th, 10 th, 11 th, and 12 th grades = High School

Three winners will be selected for each group. Winners will be notified during the week of March 30, 2026.

Each group will receive three awards:
First Place: $75
Second Place: $50
Third Place: $25

All winners will also receive a certificate. The first-place winner in each group will be displayed in the Old Post Office at the location of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District during the ceremony celebrating the 150 th Anniversary and up to one year thereafter. Each winner will be invited to the ceremony and their accomplishments recognized by the Court during the ceremony.

NOTE: All winning and non-winning entries become the property of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District and will not be returned except upon special request.

Direct questions to: Joy Hannel, Court Administrator at 314-539-4300 Joy.Hannel@courts.mo.gov

View full details and entry form here.

Lifting Poetry Off the Page: Creating Community and Connection

Why POL?

Teachers:

• Fun and dynamic way to introduce poetry 

• Benefits all types of students

Students:

• Improve public speaking skills

• Build confidence

• Grow appreciation for poetry

It’s easy!

Free – all materials on POL website (Poetry Out Loud)

• Works with existing curriculum

• Inspires learning

• Analytical skills

• Writing confidence

• Creativity across disciplines

There’s still time!

Key deadlines:

• School competition deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026

• Registration due by Friday, December 19

• Regional competition deadline: Monday, February 23, 2026

• State championship [TBD]: March 3, 2026

• National contest [Washington DC]: April 27-29, 2026

• Interested? Contact Jenni Ryan at Jenni.Ryan@ltgov.mo.gov for more information.

• Register here: 2026 Missouri Poetry Out Loud School Registration Form

Visit DESE’s Virtual Art Gallery here, which features creations this month from Grundy R-V and Strafford R-VI schools. For more information about how your school can participate in the art exhibit, please contact Dr. Kendra Franks, DESE’s Fine Arts Curriculum Director at Kendra.Franks@dese.mo.gov.

Artwork is on display in the Jefferson Building 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Monday-Friday (except for state holidays). Please contact Kendra Franks, Arts Education Director before visiting.

Started in 2004, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has invited public schools throughout Missouri to submit samples of their students' artwork. The art is displayed in the Department's main office in Jefferson City and in the room where the State Board of Education holds its regular monthly meetings. Artwork from each featured school is showcased for a month. The same artwork is now featured here. For privacy reasons, the full names of the student artists will not be published here.

Schools that will be featured in the Virtual Art Gallery are already scheduled for several months in advance. Please do not submit unsolicited artwork. For more information, contact:

Kendra Franks, Ph.D.
Director of Fine Arts Education
573-751-9610
Kendra.Franks@dese.mo.gov

Image Credit: Grundy R-V and Strafford R-VI schools

Register Here

January 10, 2026 (11 a.m. to 12 noon Eastern time)
Models and Frameworks for Differentiating Instruction and Developing Expertise and Talent
Tamra Stambaugh
How can we modify lessons that support students’ learning, talent development, and expertise? What does it mean to add depth, complexity, and abstractness as part of differentiated and advanced instruction? Frameworks and models are important tools  teachers can use to create challenging learning opportunities, promote advanced thinking, and make thinking visible. Students can rely on models and frameworks to guide their own thinking and to engage in practices of the discipline.   Add to your pedagogical toolkit and learn various models and frameworks that help students examine problems, relationships, and concepts in different disciplines and guide teacher questioning.

Learn more and register here.

This just in! MAEA Spring Conference 2026 will be in Cape Girardeau, MO for the first time! Mark your calendars for March 26th-28th, 2026. We are currently collecting team

2026 MAEA Conference Request For Presentation Proposals

Vendor workshops proposals will be accepted at any time.

Here are some suggestions from our members:

Pre-K to 2nd grade lessons / Collage & Mixed Media / Cross-Curricular Connections / Paper Mache / Ceramics / TAB / Found Art / Photography / Drawing / Motivation / Mental Health/ Artist Skills / Printmaking / Fiber Arts / Raku / Budget Projects / Book Binding / Artist Talks / Comic Books / Nature Art / Wire Sculpture / Batik Dying / Classroom Organization

Submit here

Save the Date: Fall Conference 2026 at Knob Noster State Park: Oct 2nd-3rd 2026! 

MAEA $500 High School Future Educator Scholarship Applications are due Jan 31st. See more informaiton here..  

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be Missouri resident, high school graduating student, studying to be a visual art educator in the state of Missouri in the areas of elementary, middle school/junior high, secondary, K-12 or museum. 

GENERAL  GUIDELINES

• Scholarships are earmarked for students, graduating from high school, who are interested in majoring in the field of visual art education

• The Scholarship is to encourage high school seniors to consider visual art education as a career.

• Scholarships will be awarded based on current amounts of funds available. 

• The scholarship will be awarded to graduating Missouri high school students only.

Missouri Historical Society

A variety of open positions including K-12 Programs Coordinator and Museum Educator.