Advocacy Chair | Janis Nunnally

BIOgraphy STATEMENT

Past TAEA Board Roles: President, President-Elect, Past President, Middle Level Chair

Janis Nunnally, from Lexington, KY originally, has taught middle school art at Upperman Middle in Baxter, TN for 21 yrs. She leads NJAHS chapter, the yearbook, and facilitates the Sally Crain Jager Student Art Exhibition. She’s a graduate of Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, with a BA in Art, St. Louis Community College, with an AAS in Commercial and Advertising Art,Tennessee Tech University with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction (and K-12 Art Certification).

She is also a 2018 Graduate of the NAEA School for Art Leaders.  Previously, Nunnally was the TAEA Middle Level Director, President-Elect, President, and Past President (2014-2019).   She served on committees and working groups with the NAEA, recently finishing her term as the NAEA Board of Directors as the Middle Level Division Director.  She serves as the Executive Director of Arts Round Tennessee, a non-profit organization supporting the artists in the Upper Cumberland arena, along with bringing art to the community.

Her awards include 2026 NAEA National Middle Level Art Educator of the Year, 2021 TAEA Art Educator of the Year, 2013 TAEA Middle Level Educator of the Year.  She was honored at the Tennessee Arts Academy as a Teacher Hero in 2024.