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Home › News & Events › News › AVCE Faculty Recognized with Several Awards

AVCE Faculty Recognized with Several Awards

February 17, 2020

Visual culture is all around us. We are constantly scrolling through and posting on various social media, creating short videos to share, enjoying movies, and can identify a company with their logo or font alone. 

Art & Visual Culture Education (AVCE) at the University of Arizona School of Art is an outstanding program, literally.

AVCE is standing out as a program and the world is noticing. In recent months, four AVCE faculty members have been named as recipients of major awards.  

  • Dr. Carissa DiCindio, assistant professor
    Women’s Caucus Kathy Connors Teaching Award for excellence in teaching, mentoring, and collaboration from the National Art Education Association (NAEA)
  • Dr. Amy Kraehe, associate professor
    Mac Arthur Goodwin Award for Distinguished Service within the Profession for outstanding achievement, contribution and service in previous years to the field of art education from the NAEA
  • Dr. Ryan Shin, associate professor
    Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator Award from the Arizona Art Education Association (AAEA) in fall 2019. The award is given to one outstanding AAEA member is honored for service and contributions to art education that merit recognition and acclaim.
  • Dr. Gloria Wilson, assistant professor
    NAEA Women’s Caucus Mary J. Rouse Award, in recognition for distinguished contributions by early career professionals in art education. 
Dr. Amy Kraehe

Awards for DiCindio, Kraehe and Wilson will be presented during the 2020 NAEA National Convention in Minneapolis on March 27.

Kraehe’s award was determined by her peers as noted by NAEA Executive Director Deborah Reeve, who wrote: 

“There is no greater testament of your exemplary contributions to the field of visual arts education than being chosen for this prestigious award. Your colleagues throughout the United States and abroad join the NAEA Board of Directors in applauding your leadership, commitment and service to the profession.”

Those kind words are much appreciated by Kraehe, personally and for the program.

“It’s clear that the University of Arizona is having an impact in art education, and I have no doubt the momentum will continue,” said Kraehe. 

 

AVCE Magic

AVCE at the University of Arizona is somewhat unique for a few reasons. The School of Art not only houses studio art programs, but also includes art education and art history, and the School of Art and University of Arizona Museum of Art are literally a part of the same building. The program has different areas of emphasis, including teaching K-12, and community and museums.

But what’s the deal with all of the awards?

Dr. Carissa DiCindio

“From the day I was hired at UA, AVCE faculty members have been just so generous with their time and resources,” said DiCindio. ‘I immediately felt like I was a part of a team. I think being a part of the School of Art is important to this success in how we are able to connect to studio art and art history and work with faculty through collaborations like the museum studies certificate.”

Collaboration is especially important for programs like this, whose graduates are going into fields like teaching and public outreach. Without understanding how to engage students in the classroom or members of the community, the arts will have no audience or relevance and whither away. 

“For me, not only having UAMA close by, but also knowing the museum staff is so willing to work with me and with students is critical to the work I have been able to do,” said DiCindio. “They are really amazing, and they have created a museum environment that is truly a laboratory for experimentation and learning. Because my classes can meet at the museum, students are able to have so many different types of experiences teaching through programs and in the galleries.

“I think the AVCE students are also a big reason for this success. They are so creative and talented, and they bring such interesting perspectives to courses and to their own work. I feel like I am learning from them all of the time, and I am so lucky to be able to work with them and to be inspired by their work.

Kraehe also believes the “AVCE magic” all comes down to the people. 

“Often what happens in rigorous academic programs and art schools is that members of the faculty are tacitly encouraged to compete internally amongst themselves, especially where there are finite resources or entrenched divisions. 

“In AVCE we work hard to make sure everyone thrives, not just professionally but in all aspects of their lives . . . I can see that this remarkable AVCE community took time to build and cannot be taken for granted.

 “The collaborative, supportive, and diverse community creates an ethos that students pick up on and are attracted to . . . Our graduates go on to become passionate art educators in Arizona schools and museums, committed arts activists and leaders across the region, and dynamic university and art school faculty around the country.”

Dr. Gloria Wilson

The program currently has students at all levels of study: BFA, MA, Accelerated MA, and PhD. Graduating senior Alyssa Thomas reflects, “Throughout my time in the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona, I have become such a strong teacher candidate. 

“Dr. Carissa DiCindio, one of my longtime professors, has done a phenomenal job at making her students, myself included; feel confident and comfortable in museum settings. Having had her support, I can proudly say I’ve been able to successfully facilitate several gallery and museum experiences with my own students today. 

“Dr. Gloria Wilson and I met last semester during the fall, in which her experiences and understanding of art as a participatory and active practice were at the forefront of our classes. Her insights and love of the field were nothing short of memorable. 

“All the while, Dr. Ryan Shin has acted as my mentor and has overseen my entire journey as an Art Education student. Because of the efforts of these esteemed professors, I will be graduating in May as an amazing arts educator and a better person.”

Wilson, who joined the program in August 2019, has found the community to be impactful to her work.

“There are many factors which may contribute to the success of AVCE faculty. What I know to be true is that AVCE comprises a faculty of truly supportive colleagues. We are genuinely excited to support and see one another succeed in all areas of our professional lives (and I would add, our personal lives also). 

“Overall, they’re simply a great bunch to work alongside—and perhaps, this collegial energy is also recognized nationally, with our field.”

Dr. Ryan Shin

According to Shin, this is just the beginning.

“I believe that AVCE faculty is quite active in our professional organizations and services, which results in a number of recognitions. I also think that you will hear more about our faculty’s success and contributions to the field in the coming years.”

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We're so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work y'all are creating and sharing it here.

"I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and we'll miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!"

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭
... See MoreSee Less

Were so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work yall are creating and sharing it here. 

I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and well miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment
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Congrats, Lauren!! 🙌💐

Congratulations on a job well done. 👏Very proud of you and your accomplishments.

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Graduation celebrations continue! Let's hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

"I'm Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers' reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms."

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!
... See MoreSee Less

Graduation celebrations continue! Lets hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

Im Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms.

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!Image attachment
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Congrats to Kasey!

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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
3 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States.
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations.
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations.
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaball
... See MoreSee Less

We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States. 
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations. 
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations. 
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaballImage attachmentImage attachment+6Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.”

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds.

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!
... See MoreSee Less

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.” 

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds. 

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong 

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Need plans for tomorrow? Join us Friday (4/29) from 5-7PM at the Graduate Gallery for The Soft Lines exhibition!

Soft Lines is a class exhibition for Art504 Soft Installation instructed by Angie Zielenski.

See you there!!👋
... See MoreSee Less

Need plans for tomorrow? Join us Friday (4/29) from 5-7PM at the Graduate Gallery for The Soft Lines exhibition! 

Soft Lines is a class exhibition for Art504 Soft Installation instructed by Angie Zielenski. 

See you there!!👋
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
1 month ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Our future Art and Visual Culture educators invite you to join them for the 2022 Wildcat Art Exhibition and Reception this coming Saturday (4/30) from 10AM to 12PM in the Lionel Rombach Gallery!🎉

Wildcat Art is a non-profit, student-led program offered by the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Now in its 27th year, Wildcat Art serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art education students.

The exhibition features selected works by local K-12 students created during art lessons developed and taught by Art & Visual Culture Education undergraduate students. This year’s theme explored the community of Tucson through environmental and cultural history and identity. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, embroidery, clay works, and drawings.🌵

We hope to see you there!!
... See MoreSee Less

Our future Art and Visual Culture educators invite you to join them for the 2022 Wildcat Art Exhibition and Reception this coming Saturday (4/30) from 10AM to 12PM in the Lionel Rombach Gallery!🎉

Wildcat Art is a non-profit, student-led program offered by the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Now in its 27th year, Wildcat Art serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art education students.

The exhibition features selected works by local K-12 students created during art lessons developed and taught by Art & Visual Culture Education undergraduate students. This year’s theme explored the community of Tucson through environmental and cultural history and identity. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, embroidery, clay works, and drawings.🌵

We hope to see you there!!Image attachmentImage attachment
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