Each year, one of the most exciting things that the board of the Tennessee Art Education Association gets to do is recognize some of the outstanding art educators in all divisions and regions from across the state of Tennessee. These amazing teachers exemplify the qualities and standards of what it means to be a great art educator, going above-and-beyond for their students. To receive one of these meaningful awards, teachers must be nominated by their peers and colleagues, then those nominations are reviewed by the executive committee of the TAEA board to determine the award winners. What a challenging task that is! Each nominee brings so much experience and passion for teaching that making those selections is truly a difficult job. In 2016, we had a fantastic line up of amazing teachers receive these awards. It is genuinely a pleasure to be able to recognize them for their hard work and dedication to the profession of art education. Congratulations to our 2016 award winners!
Tennessee Art Educator of the Year
Bill Hickerson
East Region Art Educator of the Year
Ethan Pignataro
Middle Region Art Educator of the Year
Justin Makemson
West Region Art Educator of the Year
Carol Eckert
Elementary Art Educator of the Year
Holly Briggs
Middle Level Art Educator of the Year
Kathy McMillan
Secondary Art Educator of the Year
Rose Doherty
Higher Education Art Educator of the Year
Shannon Elliott
Museum Art Educator of the Year
Margarita Sandino
First Year Educator of the Year
Melanie Hill-Guion
Pre-Service Art Educator of the Year
Lindsey McCartin
Higher Education Student Achievement Award
Rachel Rhea
Friend of TAEA
Belmont University