Friday

PDF of the program will be available shortly.

*Schedule is subject to change

Act 48 Credit Information

Most sessions qualify for Act 48 credit. If a session does not qualify for Act 48 credit, it will be indicated in the session description. Conference participants will receive an email after the conference with links to google forms they must complete to receive Act 48 credit. All forms must be completed by October 31, 2025. PAEA will report the hours to PDE in November, 2025. Please contact Jill Anders at directorofprogramming@paea.org if you have Act 48 questions.

7:30 AM – 4:30 PM – Registration - Grand Station Foyer

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM - Exhibition Hall - Grand Station I & II

8:00 AM - Welcome and Introductions - Grand Station III & IV

Join us for a warm welcome, introductions to the day and a coffee/tea bar to start the day off strong.

8:30 - 9:20 AM - Breakout Sessions

Exploring Memory and Belonging Through Mixed Media: A Reflective Narrative Practice for Educators - Brighton 1

Julia Hovanek

Experience the transformative power of mixed media pedagogy in this hands-on session for art educators. Participants will engage in reflective practices that explore memory and belonging through collage, painting, and printmaking. Leave with adaptable strategies to inspire personal reflection, professional growth, and inclusive, community-centered curriculum design.

Keywords: Narrative Pedagogy, Mixed Media, Memory & Belonging, Professional Development, Reflective Practice

Identity Through Portraiture: Creating the Space for Elementary School Students to Discover Themselves and Share Their Visions with the Community - Brighton II

Allison Frick

From Yoruba masks to the work of Amy Sherald, learn how to explore identity through portraiture with a strong focus on BIPOC artists

Keywords: Self Portrait, LGBTQIA+, Digital Fabrication

~Art and Her Sister, Science~ - Brighton III

Francine McCollum / Thomas Klinger

We talk about the interconnectedness of Art & Science, but how do we get our students to see those connections?

I’m proposing PAEA teachers join forces with the PA Master Naturalists to collaborate and bring Art & Science to our students, schools and school yards. Let’s meet to talk about what this could look like.

Keywords: Interconnectedness, Engaging, Science, Creativity, STEELS

Unlocking Narrative: Art as Catalyst for Conceptual & Cultural Growth - Brighton IV

Katherine Cruz

Discover how visual art creation can precede and fuel narrative development. This session explores projects where visual-led storytelling fosters conceptual thinking, identity exploration, and cultural affirmation through student-driven narratives.

Keywords: Visual Narrative, Conceptual Art, Cultural Affirmation, Caribbean Latine Students

8:30 - 10:20 AM - Ticketed Workshops

Art Class as Studio: Developing a Children’s TV Concept - $7 - Woodlawn

Genesis Fortner

Join us for an engaging workshop where art educators will creatively design their own children’s TV show pilots! This hands-on experience will allow you to develop original characters, craft exciting storylines, and construct engaging worlds while honing essential skills in entertainment like storyboarding and pitching. Our goal is to inspire you to think beyond traditional art projects and explore storytelling through television. By the end of the workshop, you will leave with a solid pilot concept and practical ideas for integrating media creation and storytelling into your art classroom.

Keywords: Storyboarding, Group Creativity, Media Literacy, Personal Narratives, Storytelling

Worn Stories: Wearable Art as Personal Narrative and Social Commentary - $10 - Hall of Fame

MaryJo Rosania-Harvie

Discover how wearable art can empower students to express personal narratives and engage with social issues. The presenter will share her own wearable artwork and student examples. In this hands-on session, participants will create wearable pieces while exploring identity, storytelling, and culturally responsive teaching in art classrooms.

Keywords: Wearable Art, Visual Narrative, Identity & Voice, Social Justice, Contemporary Practice, Student Empowerment

9:30 - 10:20 AM - Breakout Sessions

Bridging Gaps Between Teacher Prep Programs and Practice: Empowering Student Teachers Through Mentorship, Reflection, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration - Brighton I

CJ Matz / Robert Arnold

This session explores how cooperating teachers can effectively support student teachers by bridging gaps between college preparation and real-world classroom practice. Participants will learn collaborative strategies, mentorship techniques, reflective practices, and analyze materials used to empower future educators.

Keywords: Pre-service, Co-operating Teachers, Student Teaching

Reclaiming Your Creative Narrative: How Making Art for Yourself is the Ultimate Self-Care - Brighton II

Kaitlyn Edington

Art educators nurture creativity in students, but what about their own artistic journey? This session explores how to reclaim your creative narrative, overcome barriers to making art, and develop sustainable habits that prioritize personal artistic growth. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to rediscover their artistic identity while balancing teaching.

Keywords: Creativity, Self-care, Art Teachers as Artists, Artistic Identity, Teacher Burnout, Work-life Balance, Creative Well-being

From Oops to Aha! Reframing Failure in the Art Classroom - Brighton III

Jaime Linn Brown

Do your students fear mistakes and reach for erasers too quickly? This interactive session explores how one educator transformed a classroom culture focused on perfection into one that embraces risk-taking. Engage in dialogue and reflective activities, and leave with strategies to encourage creativity, experimentation, and resilience in your art room.

Keywords: TAB, Normalizing Failure, Risk-taking, “Engage and Persist”, Play

Narrative Found Object Assemblage Sculptural Pendulum Clocks, PreK – Gr 12. You Got This! - Brighton III

Linda Popp

Presenting strategies for teaching narrative found object assemblage sculptural clocks with all levels. Creating a meaningful narrative with materials and techniques facilitates students using collections in order to express personal authentic stories and ideas. The process will engage learners and the products will be as unique as each individual artist.

Keywords: Narrative, Clocks, Assemblage, Sculpture, Found Objects

10:30 - 11:20 AM - Breakout Sessions

Creating an Accessible Art Room for All Learners - Brighton I

Sarah Swanson

This presentation supports art teachers in creating inclusive, accessible classroom environments that accommodate all students, including those with physical, cognitive, and sensory challenges. It offers a step-by-step approach to assessing and adapting art spaces, introduces Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for proactive, flexible planning, and provides practical tools, materials, and teaching strategies.

Keywords: Accessibility, Inclusion, Special Education, Disability, Adaptive Resources

Who Gets Seen? Examining Bias in AI-Generated Images - Brighton II

Ye Sul Park

In this session, we will examine the narratives that artificial intelligence (AI) reinforces or silences by engaging with AI-generated images. Drawing on the method of critical content analysis developed by artist and researcher Eryk Salvaggio, we will practice unpacking the biases embedded in AI systems.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Algorithmic Bias, AI-Generated Images, Critical Content Analysis

Narrating Motherhood in Diaspora: Art as Resistance, Memory, and Feminist Pedagogy - Brighton III

Simin Zargaran

This talk explores how diasporic motherhood can become a site of feminist resistance through visual storytelling. Drawing from personal narratives and academic research, the session presents art-based strategies that engage memory, cultural identity, and care in the classroom, challenging dominant narratives and embracing vulnerability as pedagogical strength.

Keywords: Narrative, Diaspora, Feminist Pedagogy, Motherhood, Resistance

Building a Program, Strengthening Community Connections, and Encouraging Career Paths through Digital and Traditional Art - Brighton IV

Erin Shaffer / Mary Ann Buckley

This session is designed to encourage a technology and art collaboration with real-life experiences and outcomes for students. Presenters will showcase example collaborations with community members and small business groups. Attendees will receive resources that can be used in their classrooms and with their administrators for relevancy.

Keywords: Co-teaching, Graphic Design, Career Paths, Community Connections

10:30 AM - 12:20 PM - Ticketed Workshop

Absurdist Drawing: Creating Personal Visual Language for Self Reflection - $10 - Woodlawn

Rachel Briggs

Participants will engage in a series of drawing exercises to develop a visual translation of their lived experiences. The exercises are presented with a wealth of art historical examples demonstrating how artists imbue personal meaning through drawings and painting. Participants will create, explore, and expand on visual self reflection.

Keywords: Drawing, Journaling, Self Reflection, Restorative Practices, Art History

A Container for Sustainable Storytelling: Upcycling Cardboard and Paper for a Book in a Box- $5 - Hall of Fame

Sue Uhlig

Make the most of your art budget by upcycling things readily found in your classroom or home. In this workshop, participants will reuse paper, maps, cereal boxes, and foam core scraps to create a few different types of books, which will nestle inside a niched clamshell box, perfect for storytelling.

Keywords: Sustainability, Upcycling, Storytelling, Bookmaking, Boxmaking

There’s an Acrylic for That! - free of charge - Grand Station I (Vendor Hall)

Blick Art Materials

Explore a range of acrylic paint grades and viscosities in this hands-on workshop presented by Blick Art Materials. Learn techniques to make transparent paints opaquer and thicker paints thinner. After the session, you’ll feel confident choosing the right acrylic for any creative task!

Keywords: Acrylics, Painting, Exploration, Mediums

11:30 AM - 12:20 PM - Breakout Sessions

Show Me the Money for Arts Education - Brighton I

Mark Despotakis, PMEA

Navigating school funding for arts programs can be complicated. This session will talk about funding structures in education and how they can be accessed for arts education.

Keywords: Funding, ESSA, Money, Budget

Narratives in the Making: What Early Childhood Teaches Us About teaching Pre-K-12 Art. - Brighton II

Eric Anthony Berdis / Kristine Sunday

This presentation explores how early childhood learning environments contribute to a better understanding of long-understood tensions in teaching pre-k-12 art. We examine early childhood to consider how seemingly contradictory configurations such as structure alongside open ended exploration, chaos alongside order, and individual autonomy within group collaboration can co-exist in productive ways.

Keywords: Independence, Agency, Classroom as Third Teacher, Flow, Children’s Stories

Narrative Threads: Mining Testimonios and Story-building as Transformative Practice - Brighton III

Leslie Sotomoyor / Julia Hovanec / Nicole Romanski

This interactive session invites art educators to explore storytelling as transformative pedagogy. Through personal testimonios, collective story-building, and reflective discussion, participants will engage with narrative as a tool for empathy, critical reflection, and community building. Leave with strategies to unpack and rebuild stories within personal and professional practice.

Keywords: Reflective Practice, Community, Identity, Empathy, Transformative Pedagogy

Facilitating a Low Stakes Social Emotional Learning Environment in a High Stakes World - Brighton IV

Em Jensen / Margo Wunder

Join art educators servicing students with emotional and behavioral needs and gain insight into how formal and informal moments can serve as powerful tools for fostering self-awareness, emotional regulation, social skills, and resilience among students facing unique challenges. Leave with low stakes ways to integrate SEL routines into your high stakes world!

Keywords: Special Education, SEL, Trauma-informed, Inclusive Practices, Restorative Practices, Trauma, Accommodations, Differentiation

12:30 - 1:00 PM - Featured Speaker: Senator Pat Stefano - Grand Station III & IV

Senator Patrick J. Stefano represents Pennsylvania’s 32nd Senatorial District. As a lifelong resident of Fayette County, he has built a career around public service, small business advocacy, and community leadership.

Prior to his time in the Senate, Stefano was a third-generation business owner of Stefano’s Printing, working in the family business for over 30 years. His first-hand experience managing budgets, controlling costs, and meeting payroll allows him to bring a much-needed, common-sense approach to Harrisburg.

Stefano is a steadfast advocate for Pennsylvania’s small businesses, understanding their essential role in driving our commonwealth’s economic growth. Drawing on his experience as a business owner and active involvement with multiple local Chambers of Commerce, his past tenure as president of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, and his work with the Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, he brings a unique perspective to the legislative process.

Stefano has been involved with numerous charitable and civic causes throughout his career. He is a lifetime member and former board president of the American Heart Association and has volunteered with various organizations, including Junior Achievement, Rotary Club of Connellsville, YMCA of Laurel Highlands, Downtown Connellsville, and Boy Scout Troop 180.

For the 2025-2026 legislative session, he continues to serve as chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee and is a member of several other key committees, including Aging and Youth, Community, Economic, and Recreational Development, Policy, Rules and Executive Nominations, State Government, and Transportation.

1:00 - 1:25 PM - PAEA General Membership Meeting - Grand Station III & IV

1:30 - 2:20 PM - Breakout Sessions

Frameworks: Creating Inclusive Pathways for Teen Identity and Voice through Gallery-Based Art Experiences - Brighton I

Amy Roadman

Frameworks is a collaborative, gallery-based program that empowers teens to explore identity and voice through artmaking, mentorship, and reflection. Learn how inclusive, college-connected experiences can foster creative growth, cultural awareness, and community for high school students in museum and gallery spaces.

Keywords: Youth Empowerment, Identity Exploration, Gallery-Based Learning, Mentorship, Culturally Responsive Teaching

Art Dialogues: Essential Curriculum for Non-art Majors - Brighton II

Desiree Matia / Sarah Zeffiro

This session will explore how our university’s art department is evolving the curriculum of our required courses to meet the needs of diverse 21st-century learners, with a foundation in social justice and the university’s mission.

Keywords: Social Justice, Activism, Engaged Citizens, Essential Curriculum, Art Appreciation

Successful Lessons That Integrate Story, Choice, Contemporary Art, and Other Best Practices - Brighton III

Marita Fitzpatrick / Felisa Adderley / MaryJo Rosania-Harvie / Renee Jackson / Kerry Goldman

Five Art Educators share lessons which integrate story, choice, teach contemporary art, and/or other successful pedagogy. This is a Pecha Kucha style presentation. After the group presents their slides, the floor will open to attendee questions and discussion.

Keywords: Best Practices, Contemporary Art Pedagogy, Critical Pedagogy, Collaboration, Narrative, World-Building

1:30 - 2:50 PM - Panel Discussion

AP Art and Design Teacher Panel / Discussion - Brighton IV

Maggie Weber / Andrea Keefe / Francine McCollum / Alison Marzuoli

AP Art & Design as Narrative. AP is essentially telling the story of how the students artwork was made: what processes, techniques, and materials are used and why. Join three high school art teachers to discuss how they address the AP art curriculum in their respective classrooms. Panel teachers will answer preliminary prompts and then open up space for audience questions and group discussion.

Keywords: AP Art and Design, AP Portfolio, Sustained Investigation, High School Choice

1:30 - 3:20 PM - Featured Workshop: Jen Blalock

Vision of the Future: ChatGPT and Zine Making - $2.50 - Woodlawn

In this workshop, participants will create a zine that tells the story of a day in their life ten years into the future using Chat GPT, the imagery of comics, and collage.

Jen Blalock is an art educator with over ten years of experience in K-12 and adult education. From her early years as a high school art teacher in North Carolina, to working remotely with Accelerate Education, to teaching adults at the Community College of Allegheny County, she has promoted art making as a vital skill for lifelong learning and expression.

Jen received her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where she was also able to study abroad in Germany at the teacher preparation college, Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Jen has won awards for her artwork and was the recipient of the Creative Accelerator Grant in 2023. She enjoys all manner of art making, from drawing to collage, and is an active member of the Pittsburgh Collage Collective. She lives in Pittsburgh with her two cats, Mora and Luna, and creates art as a mindfulness exercise to bring love and joy to her audience. Jen can be found on Instagram @jenisforlove, and on her website at jenisforlove.com.

1:30 - 3:20 PM - Ticketed Workshop

Do You Prefer a Slice of Cake or a Cupcake? - $10 - Hall of Fame

Lynda Abraham - Braff / Michele Rodich

Engage your students in this hands-on-workshop using inspiration from Wayne Thiebaud’s dessert paintings and influence from Pop Art while incorporating clay hand-building techniques using air-dry, polymer or ceramic clay to create a slice of cake or cupcake sculpture.

Keywords: Sculpture, Pop Art, Clay, Hand-building, Engagement

Dimensional Designs with Mayco! - free of charge - Grand Station I (Vendor Hall)

Bailie Benson / Tabitha Lusk

Create depth and texture with Mayco's newest product, Snow Gems and learn about ways to combine them with other fired products. Discover methods for making gradient backgrounds and ways to tint the Snow Gems for endless color creations!

Keywords: Ceramics, Glazes, Underglazes

2:30 - 3:20 PM - Breakout Session

Introducing Choice-Based Art to Kindergarteners: Practical Strategies for a Creative Studio - Brighton I

Chelsea Cramer

Curious what Choice Art looks like in kindergarten? Discover how to introduce choice-based art to kindergarteners using a modified studio center approach. Learn practical strategies for setting up your space, offering choice, and nurturing independence, creativity, and confidence in young artists through a developmentally appropriate, engaging, and supportive art environment.

Keywords: Choice Art, Kindergarten, Studio, Centers, TAB

Student to Student Feedback - Brighton III

Leslie Gates

How can we create classroom cultures that foster honest, specific, and helpful feedback among students? Feedback is crucial for supporting students’ learning and fueling students’ artistic practice. This session will explore strategies for students giving and receiving feedback to one another.

Keywords: Assessment, Feedback, Classroom Strategies

3:30 - 4:15 PM - Awards Ceremony and Reception - Grand Station III & IV

4:20 - 5:30 PM - Members Mart - Grand Station Lobby

4:20 - 5:10 PM - Research Poster Party - Grand Station Lobby

PAEA Research Poster Party: Reception of Fresh Ideas and Innovations

The PAEA Higher Education Division invites you to our inaugural PAEA Research Poster Party! Join us for 50 minutes of cutting-edge research sharing in an informal setting. Be prepared for the reception of fresh ideas and innovations from:

6:00 - 9:00 PM - Teacher Open House - $10 - The Andy Warhol Museum

Join us for our annual Teacher Open House!

We are pleased to offer a special PAEA edition of our annual Teacher Open House. Enjoy food, drink, gallery talks, silkscreen printing and more. Mingle with local arts educators and learn about our free lesson plans and classroom resources.

This is a ticketed event. Bussing from the Sheraton is provided.

7:00 - 8:00 PM - Experience PGC in Action! - $10 - Pittsburgh Glass Center

Join us for an exclusive tour and live demonstration during the PAEA 2025 Conference! Get a behind-the-scenes look at our work, see our process in action, and experience firsthand how we bring glass art to life. We teach it. We create it. We promote it. We support those who make it.

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with our team, ask questions, and gain valuable insights. Whether you're an educator or artist, this is your chance to see innovation and collaboration in real time!

This is a ticketed event. Bussing from the Sheraton is provided.

Page updated

Report abuse