Annual WAEA Awards

WAEA AWARD NOMINATIONS

Each year WAEA looks to honor outstanding art educators and art supporters in our state. These educators have contributed by EDUCATING, ADVOCATING for and PARTICIPATING in Visual Art Education in their school, district, region and/or state.

PLEASE take the time to nominate art educators for WAEA Awards!

Why nominate?
Award winners gain:
Beneficial Resume Enhancement, Networking Opportunities, Oppertunities for future National and Regional NAEA Awards, WAEA Fall Conference Registration fee waived, Art Educator of the Year gets National Conference Registration waived, Bragging Rights, and Recognized with Award at Fall Conference Awards Ceremony!

Nominees do not need to be WAEA members (*except for the HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD... the student needs to be a pre-service WAEA/NAEA member)

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: October 4th, at 10am (PST)
Winners recognized at the Fall Conference.

Nomination Form HEre

WAEA AWARD DESCRIPTIONS

Washington Art Educator of the Year

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished teaching. They should EDUCATE by writing curriculum, standards, and/or assessments, mentoring new teachers, publishing articles, and providing enriching and engaging content for their students. They should ADVOCATE by receiving grants, creating artwork outside of the classroom and supporting students in contests and exhibitions. They should PARTICIPATE by being a leader within their schools; districts, professional, online communities and organizations. This would include maintaining active memberships, sharing their knowledge, volunteering or leading committees or holding positions of leadership within these organizations. There is no grade level requirement for this award; it is the educator that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local, state and national levels of participation, education and advocacy. This Educator has usually been recognized in another awards category in previous years.

Washington Elementary Art Educator of the Year

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished teaching within the Elementary grade levels. (K-5) Just like the Educator of the year they should Educate, Advocate and Participate in their local and state organizations and committees. Most of all they should set the example for how Visual Arts should be taught at the elementary level. They should be involved at the local district level in curriculum development, art shows and contests and program advocacy. At minimum they should be involved on the state or national level by presenting at conferences, but other forms of state leadership should be evident. This award is given to the Elementary classroom teacher or specialist that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of participation, education and advocacy.

Washington Middle Level Art Educator of the Year

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished teaching within the Middle School/Junior High grade levels. (6-9) Just like the Educator of the year they should Educate, Advocate and Participate in their local and state organizations and committees. Most of all they should set the example for how Visual Arts should be taught at the Middle School level. They should be involved at the local district level in curriculum development, art shows and contests and program advocacy. At minimum they should be involved on the state or national level by presenting at conferences, but other forms of state leadership should be evident. This award is given to the Middle School or Junior High Arts Teacher or Specialist that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of participation, education and advocacy.

Washington Secondary Art Educator of the Year

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished teaching within the High School grade levels. (9-12) Just like the Educator of the year they should Educate, Advocate and Participate in their local and state organizations and committees. Most of all they should set the example for how Visual Arts should be taught at the High School level. They should be involved at the local district level in curriculum development, art shows and contests and program advocacy. They should be a practicing artist and help students plan and apply for Art Schools and Colleges. At minimum they should be involved on the state or national level by presenting at conferences, but other forms of state leadership should be evident. This award is given to the High School Art teacher that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of participation and advocacy.

Washington Higher Education Art Educator of the Year

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished teaching within the College, University or Art academy levels. Just like the Educator of the year they should Educate, Advocate and Participate in their local and state organizations and committees. Most of all they should set the example for how Visual Arts should be taught at the College level. They should be involved at their local college level in curriculum development, art shows and contests and program advocacy. They should be a practicing artist and help students plan and be reaching out to High School Students for application and assisting graduating College students in finding art careers. At minimum they should be involved on the state or national level by presenting at conferences, but other forms of state leadership should be evident. This award is given to the College Level Art teacher that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of participation and advocacy.

Washington Distinguished Service Award

This award is to recognize outstanding achievement and contributions by persons or organizations outside the field of art education. Given the variety of roles of individuals and/or organizations who can be nominated for this award, all candidates may not have achievement or service in each area. Nominee is a person OR an organization that has an exceptional history of service at the local, state and national level to support arts education.

Washington Museum Educator of the Year

This award is to recognize outstanding achievement and contributions by persons that are employees of a Museum or arts museum programming. Candidate has held strong leadership roles on multiple occasions outside of NAEA and state/province/regional associations, and/or has significantly influenced the art and museum education field nationally or internationally. Candidate also shows evidence of long-term involvement in other professional organizations and groups other than NAEA, has received honors or grants, and shows evidence of assuming a leadership role within their own institution. Activities would include: leading workshops and developing art and/or museum education programs for a variety of audiences; planning and teaching professional development for educators and/or museum docents; developing museum-based curriculum/resources; developing and implementing public programs; conducting research on art museum education, and writing frameworks within or in collaboration with the public schools among other things. This award is given to the Museum Employee or Volunteer that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of participation and advocacy.

Washington Supervisor / Administration of the Year

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished arts support within the Supervisory or Administration position. They should be involved at the local district level in supporting and participating in curriculum development, art shows and contests and program advocacy. This award is given to the principal or other district administrator that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of arts advocacy.

Higher Education Student Achievement Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize student achievement in art education at the College/University level. Nominees must be active members of NAEA. The nominee must have completed student teaching within the last school year and have been an active student member of NAEA at the time of their student teaching. Nominee’s artwork indicates a superior level of artistic achievement including breadth and depth in studio expertise. Nominee’s letter of nomination and documentation of student work indicates a superior level of excellence in student teaching. This award is given to Art’s Education Student teacher that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of arts advocacy.

Rising Stars Secondary Recognition Award

The award winner for this category is a HIGH SCHOOL Junior or Senior that has plans to go into the field of Arts Education. They have a strong statement about their goals and purposes for art education and their career as an art educator. They have provided superior evidence of activities that promote and support the purposes of the National Art Honor Society and the candidate’s pursuit of art along with participation in local and national arts contests. This award is given to the Junior or Senior HS student with plans to become an art teacher that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of arts advocacy.

Outstanding New Art Educator of the Year (First 3 years of teaching)

The award winner for this category should have an extensive history of highly accomplished teaching within the PK-12 grade levels, but within the first 3 years of teaching. Just like the Educator of the year they should Educate, Advocate and Participate in their local and state organizations and committees. Most of all they should set the example for how Visual Arts should be taught. They should be involved at the local district level in curriculum development, art shows and contests and program advocacy. At minimum they should be involved on the state or national level by presenting at conferences, but other forms of state leadership should be evident. This award is given to the Pk-12 classroom teacher or specialist that stands out above and beyond all their peers in local and state levels of participation, education and advocacy, and be a new teacher within the first 3 years of service.

2025 WAEA Annual Award Winners

It is with great pleasure that the Board of Directors of the Washington Art Education Association announces the 2025 recipients of our WAEA annual awards.

These prestigious awards recognize outstanding dedication, professionalism, innovation, service, advocacy, and excellence in the field of art education. In receiving these awards, recipients also become eligible for future nomination for regional and national recognition with the National Art Education Association.

We are excited to honor the winners at the awards ceremony during the WAEA Fall Conference on November 7th at 6 PM at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Seattle, WA. We look forward to celebrating their well-deserved achievement.

Please make this prestigious award more personal by notifying your school staff & community of this selection.

WA STATE ART Educator OF THE YEAR AWARD- YoU?

We are proud to present YOU!

About YOU!

Austin

WA STATE SECONDARY ART Educator OF THE YEAR- YoU?

The WAEA Secondary Art Educator of the Year is YOU!

About YOU!

More about you!

WA STATE MIDDLE LEVEL ART Educator OF THE YEAR You?

The WAEA Middle Level Art Teacher of the Year is YOU?

About You!

WA STATE ELEMENTARY ART Educator OF THE YEAR- YOU?

The WAEA Elementary Art Teacher of the Year is YOU?

You?

~ Austin

Austin Gregory Ohm is an artist, teacher, and life-long learner exploring the power of art to transform people and environments. Austin has worked with students in grades k-12 and beyond. He is equally at home in a kindergarten classroom as he is on a ladder orchestrating a community mural project. Austin embraces change as a strength for teaching - always learning, adapting, and accepting his mistakes as a natural part of the creative process. Austin models these traits for his students, along with endless amounts of love, patience, and smiles.

Austin has a BFA in Painting and Drawing, MA in Creativity Studies, and a pk-12 Art Education certificate, but the education he draws from the most comes from his experiences as a professional artist and the variety of teaching opportunities he’s had outside of the traditional classroom.
It is with great joy and gratitude that I accept these honors from the WAEA. These awards are validation that I am on the right path and doing good in the world. I’m aware that this recognition comes to me as I’ve stopped trying to impress others and shifted my focus to teaching in a way that feels right in my heart and my gut. As I’ve begun to make decisions that are in my students best interests and are true to me as an artist, teacher, and leader. At a point in my career that I gained the courage to teach with authenticity.

Arts education is at the core of education. The gift of practicing the arts must be available for all people, not just the artists. Art education nourishes the essence of who we are, it feeds our creative spirit. Through the arts we build a vocabulary for connecting the individual to the whole and one’s inner landscape with the outer world. Art is a map, a compass, and a record to guide our ever-changing selves through an ever-changing world.

Thank you for your trust, encouragement, and support. Thank you for seeing me.

WA STATE Higher Education ART Educator OF THE YEAR- YOU?

This year, we honor YOU!

with the WA STATE Higher Education ART Educator OF THE YEAR-

About you!

WA STATE Museum Educator OF THE YEAR- YOU?

About You?

WAEA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD- YOU?

About You!

Historical List of Past WAEA Award Winners

2024 WAEA Annual Award Winners

It is with great pleasure that the Board of Directors of the Washington Art Education Association announces the 2024 recipients of our WAEA annual awards.

These prestigious awards recognize outstanding dedication, professionalism, innovation, service, advocacy, and excellence in the field of art education. In receiving these awards, recipients also become eligible for future nomination for regional and national recognition with the National Art Education Association.

We are excited to honor the winners at the awards ceremony during the WAEA Fall Conference on November 2nd at 10 AM at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA as part of our Fall Conference. We look forward to celebrating their well-deserved achievement.

Please make this prestigious award more personal by notifying your school staff & community of this selection.

WA STATE ART Educator OF THE YEAR AWARD Austin G. ohm

We are proud to present Austin Ohm
as the 2024 Washington State Art Educator of the Year!

Austin Gregory Ohm is an artist, teacher, and life-long learner exploring the power of art to transform people and environments. Austin has worked with students in grades k-12 and beyond. He is equally at home in a kindergarten classroom as he is on a ladder orchestrating a community mural project. Austin embraces change as a strength for teaching - always learning, adapting, and accepting his mistakes as a natural part of the creative process. Austin models these traits for his students, along with endless amounts of love, patience, and smiles.

Austin has a BFA in Painting and Drawing, MA in Creativity Studies, and a pk-12 Art Education certificate, but the education he draws from the most comes from his experiences as a professional artist and the variety of teaching opportunities he’s had outside of the traditional classroom.

It is with great joy and gratitude that I accept these honors from the WAEA. These awards are validation that I am on the right path and doing good in the world. I’m aware that this recognition comes to me as I’ve stopped trying to impress others and shifted my focus to teaching in a way that feels right in my heart and my gut.

As I’ve begun to make decisions that are in my students best interests and are true to me as an artist, teacher, and leader. At a point in my career that I gained the courage to teach with authenticity.

Arts education is at the core of education. The gift of practicing the arts must be available for all people, not just the artists. Art education nourishes the essence of who we are, it feeds our creative spirit. Through the arts we build a vocabulary for connecting the individual to the whole and one’s inner landscape with the outer world. Art is a map, a compass, and a record to guide our ever-changing selves through an ever-changing world.

Thank you for your trust, encouragement, and support. Thank you for seeing me.

Austin

WA STATE SECONDARY ART Educator OF THE YEAR- Jennifer Bitter

The WAEA Secondary Art Educator of the Year is Jennifer Bitter!

Jennifer Bitter is an accomplished, and respected, Secondary-Level Visual Arts Educator. In the
words of her nominator: “Jenne Bitter is an exemplary high school art educator with a long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching. She not only sets a high standard for how Visual Arts should be taught at the high school level, but that also includes advocating for a more
inclusive and accessible curriculum. Jenne's dedication goes beyond the classroom; she is deeply involved in curriculum development, art shows, and contests within our local district. She played a key role in helping identify the needs in our school in the design of two new art spaces at our high school. Her students' accomplishments, from high AP scores to awards in local contests, reflect her tireless efforts. Through her advocacy, participation, and passion, Jenne Bitter truly stands out as a leader in the Visual Arts community and as a leader here at Newport High School.”

In her own words...
Entering my 20th year of teaching and looking back on all my years of experience working in elementary, middle, and high school art rooms, with all of the murals, clubs, gallery shows and art markets, brings back wonderful memories. When I was nominated for this award, I was asked to take the time to sit down and look through my experiences and accomplishments. Scrolling through all of the fantastic artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with, I am invigorated for another 20 years. As an art teacher and artist, I believe that what we do in helping our students to find their voice, to be able to observe and interpret the world they see, is so important. We not only enrich their learning experience but also give them a place to be themselves openly. It really is the best job in the world. I am honored and humbled to win this award. And will do my best to continue to work to this standard.

~ Jennifer

The mural boards were a drawing and painting two project, where tables worked together and made the background while I worked with a few graffiti artists (students) to finalize the art quote. (Also voted on by class.

WA STATE MIDDLE LEVEL ART Educator OF THE YEAR Molly Quammen

The WAEA Middle Level Art Teacher of the Year is Molly Quammen

Molly Quammen is an accomplished, and respected, career Middle-Level Visual Arts Educator
who cares deeply about her students and works to get to know each learner individually.
She is able to attain information about her students’ emotional, academic, and developmental needs from multiple sources. She is also able to adapt and respond to students who are having
difficulty by teaching them different thinking, techniques, and strategies to help them access the
content, express themselves, and find success.

In her words...
Being recognized with this award means so much to me! This is my 10th year teaching Art and Pottery at the middle level. I put my heart and soul into this profession, and I am so grateful to be honored for my hard work and dedication. While taking on various leadership roles in my district, my union, and the WAEA, I have always prioritized student creativity and self-expression. I am so proud of the strong art program I have built at my school. Most of my students have had no art education prior to 6th grade, and I get to see firsthand every day their growth and learning as they learn for the first time to trust their own artistic voices and develop confidence with art materials.

I especially enjoy teaching Pottery because I love sharing the joy of the ceramic process with my students, empowering them to transform the humblest of materials (a lump of mud) into unique artistic creations, reflecting each young artist's individual voice and vision. My mother is a potter; I grew up watching her work in the studio and demonstrate the pottery wheel to students of all ages. I'm honored to continue her legacy of sharing this ancient artform with new generations of students. Thank you so much to my district Fine Arts Coordinator, Carinn Ormson, for nominating me, and thank you to the WAEA Awards Committee.

WA STATE ELEMENTARY ART Educator OF THE YEAR- Austin G. Ohm

The WAEA Elementary Art Teacher of the Year is Austin G. Ohm.

~ Austin

WA STATE Higher Education ART Educator OF THE YEAR- Gregg Schlanger

This year, we honor Gregg Schlanger

with the WA STATE Higher Education ART Educator OF THE YEAR-

Gregg Schlanger is a Professor of Art and Chair of the Department of Art + Design at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. He received his BFA from Boise State University in 1987 and his MFA from Northern Illinois University in 1989. Gregg’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. This includes a public art project for the City of Lynnwood, Washington, a public art project for North Thurston High School in Lacey, Washington, a community public art commission for the City of Memphis, Tennessee, a community project for the City of Providence, Rhode Island, and a commission for the public library in Owensboro, Kentucky. Gregg has participated in exhibitions in New York, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, California, North Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas, Idaho, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington. His work has also been exhibited in Berlin, Erfurt, Potsdam and Jena, Germany. He has received many awards including Sponsorship by the New York Foundation for the Arts, Israel-Tennessee Visual Artist Exchange Project Fellowship, USIA Arts America Grant and New Forms Regional Initiative Grant from the NEA. Aspects of community oriented art and educational components are important elements of Gregg's projects.

Information about the Public Art Project.

WA STATE Museum Educator OF THE YEAR- Nicole Dibble

Nicole was nominated by her peers to be considered for the WAEA 2024 Museum Educator of the Year Award. Using a comprehensive scoring rubric, Nicole outscored other candidates to become this year’s recipient of the WAEA 2024 Museum Educator of the Year Award. This award will be presented to Nicole during a WAEA awards event at our Fall Conference in Ellensburg, WA on November 2nd at 10AM.

In her nomination letter, Raedle Alburn of Schack Art Center wrote: “Nicole is a fervent advocate for arts education, as the Education Coordinator at Schack Art Center in 2023-2024 Nicole leveraged her position to advocate for arts education by developing multiple education programs at Schack and within schools and the community. She grew programs to include programs to serve homeschoolers and ECEAP students. She attended advocacy days at the capital, and received an arts advocate of the year in Northshore District. She was on the WAEA Conference Planning committee and Youth Arts Month Chair. Nicole developed multiple programs including Teen Nights, Educator Workshops, Field trips to Schack for Pre-K- 12 grade students, programs for preschool-aged students and their families, outreach events, youth and community exhibitions, Scholastic Art Awards, and more. She is the most outspoken advocate for Arts Education for ALL students I have ever met.”

WAEA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD- Hiep Nguyen

According to Hiep’s collaborator, Jessica Holloway, “As Hiep’s frequent collaborator and friend, I celebrate that his untiring energy, joy, and spirit encourage everyone he meets to embrace creativity, community, and connection. His curiosity and love of learning inspire those around him to engage. His generosity and warmth are a gift to his students and colleagues of all ages. He is indeed “Hiep Hip Hooray! Thank you, Hiep, for all you have done to support WAEA.”

"Hiep has been instrumental in the WAEA over the past few years. Since serving as the guest speaker at our 2022 Fall Conference, he has hosted several in-person and virtual workshops with WAEA. He has presented at both our state and national conferences, alongside Jess Holloway and Austin Ohm (WAEA members). Hiep has spent one-on-one time instructing members on his drawing and teaching techniques. He recently ran all of the workshops for the Art of Belonging Conference and received glowing reviews for his panel discussion and hands-on workshop activities. He even helped create an art-making experience for all attendees at our vendor table... It was the best! He is an integral part of the WAEA family and deserves recognition."
With over 20 years of experience in art and teaching, Hiep Nguyen has led community-based art projects for thousands worldwide. Known for his dynamic, non-judgmental facilitation, his passion for collaborative art is contagious. His participatory art process has transformed lives and hundreds of walls and canvases. A sought-after master teacher and keynote speaker at art associations and universities, Hiep founded Circle Painting and Draw All You Can in 2007, a non-profit dedicated to making art accessible and promoting mental health and teamwork through collaboration.

2024 Washington Art Education Association Awards
Washington State Art Educator of the Year: Austin G. Ohm Award letter | The Perkins School, Seattle, WA
Secondary Art Educator of the Year: Jennifer Bitter Award Letter | Bellevue School District
Middle Level Art Educator of the Year: Molly Quammen Award Letter | Evergreen School District
Elementary Art Educator of the Year: Austin G. Ohm Award Letter | The Perkins School, Seattle, WA
Higher Education Art Educator of the Year: Gregg Schlanger Award Letter | Central Washington University
Museum Art Educator of the Year: Nicole Dibble Award Letter | Schack Art Center
Distinguished Service Award: Hiep Nguyen Award Letter | Circle Painting Draw All You Can

Past Award Winners

2023 Washington Art Education Association Awards

Washington State Art Educator of the Year: Josh Everson Award Letter | Olympia School District\

Secondary Art Educator of the Year: Jill Giudice Award Letter | Tumwater School District

Middle Level Art Educator of the Year: Karen Goodrow Award Letter | Northshore School District

Elementary Art Educator of the Year: Andrea Aguilera Award Letter | Everett Public Schools

Museum Art Educator of the Year: Raedle Alburn Award Letter | Schack Art Center

Supervision and Administration Art Educator of the Year: Tamara (Tami) Coffman Award Letter | Everett Public Schools

2021 WAEA Award Recipients

WA STATE ART TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD- Cynthia Gaub

We are proud to present Cynthia Gaub

as the 2021 Washington State Art Educator of the Year!

Cynthia Holds a Fine Arts Degree from The Evergreen State College and Masters in Teaching from City University of Seattle (Tacoma Campus).

Active in WAEA, Cynthia has held both committee chair and executive board positions, acting as co-president from 2016-2018. She has also served in leadership and committee roles for the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the National Art Education Association. She was the recipient of the WAEA Middle Level Art Teacher of the year for 2009, and in 2018 received national recognition as the NAEA Pacific Region Middle School Art Teacher of the year.

Cynthia shares her ideas, lessons and methods in various art education publications including School Arts, Arts & Activities and Splatter. For many years she has also presented at local, state and national conferences, including WAEA, NAEA, the Northwest Council for Computer Education.
Cynthia is also well known for teaching art and sharing her knowledge with other educators using the Teaching for Artistic Behavior pedagogy. TAB classrooms are structured studio environments with high expectations for self-directed learning in choices of varied workspace and media. Cynthia was an instructor for the TAB Institute in Boston in 2018, and the keynote speaker for TAB Colorado in 2019.

Cynthia currently teaches art and computer technology at North Middle School in the Everett School District. Students in her Visual Arts class engage in a variety of media in the Teaching for Artistic Behavior Classroom by accessing studios and meeting challenges based on themes and genres. In Digital Art, students explore media that require technology, such as animation, photography, video filming and podcasting. As a Technology Mentor in her district, Cynthia has taught over 100 district teachers how to use podcasting, blogging and video in their classrooms.

When Cynthia is not teaching, she loves reading, gardening, playing with her dogs, and creating art that can be found on her art website at Art and Cloth and Instagram. She has both managed and shown her artwork in several Seattle art galleries.

Congratulations Cynthia!

WA STATE SECONDARY ART TEACHER OF THE YEAR- Becky Broyles

The WAEA Secondary Art Teacher of the Year is Becky Broyles!

Becky is a National Board Certified Teacher who holds degrees from Washington State University in History and Digital Technology and Culture, and a Masters of Education.

She has worked for the Battle Ground Public School District for 12 years, currently teaching high school visual art and media art classes at River HomeLink, a public K-12 parent-partnership alternative school for Washington State.

At school, she has developed a student-choice art program, modeled as a working design studio, that allows student artists the freedom to choose their creative pathway for learning. Her students have won numerous awards and have had their work published while working as artists and designers on projects that will enrich their futures.

Becky is actively involved at the local, state, and international levels of arts education. As part of the OSPI Arts Cadre and the OSPI Statewide Arts Guidance on Reopening Schools Committee (2020-21), she worked to establish that all the arts were essential and created a crowd-sourced database for media arts teachers during the pandemic.

Becky currently facilitates the Washington Art Education Association monthly Virtual Workshops. Each summer she heads the Crafts Department at the American School in Japan Summer Day Camp in Tokyo.

Becky’s warm spirit and ongoing passion for art are seen through her love of photography, collage, and fashion. She recently exhibited a photograph in a gallery show at the Maryhill Museum of Art and the Tacoma Art Museum.

Becky would like to acknowledge her students, their families, her family, friends, fellow teachers, artists, and WAEA members as a main driving force that encourages her to follow her passions, to continue to dream big!

Congratulations!

WA STATE MIDDLE LEVEL ART TEACHER OF THE YEAR Olivia Smaciarz

The WAEA Middle Level Art Teacher of the Year is Olivia Smaciarz!

Olivia is the North Thurston Public Schools’ Visual Art Educator at Salish Middle School in Lacey, WA. She currently teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grade Studio Art and Digital Photography classes. Additionally, Olivia serves as the Secondary Visual Art Facilitator.

She was born and raised in the community where she teaches, and graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Native and Indigenous Studies & Visual Arts, and a Master in Teaching with K-12 Visual Arts endorsement.

With a culturally responsive and warm yet demanding pedagogy, Olivia strives to foster an inclusive artist community that supports –
-creative, critical and reflective thinkers
-students who learn and think for themselves and
-artist collaboration across differences with cultural awareness and self-expression.

She bridges students’ lived experiences with visual art curriculum and places herself as facilitator over expert to shed light on student strengths for the collective processes to flourish.

Olivia is a proud wife and mother who enjoys medicinal gardening, crafting, cruising, listening to music and playing games with her family. When she creates her own artwork, Olivia’s preferred mediums are graphite/drawing, oil painting, printmaking and jewelry/beadwork.

Congratulations Olivia – your students are truly fortunate to have you!

WA STATE ELEMENTARY ART TEACHER OF THE YEAR- Cynthia Moore

The WAEA Elementary Art Teacher of the Year is Cynthia Moore!

Cynthia recently retired from Spokane Public Schools, where she was the Elementary Art Specialist at Moran Prairie Elementary School teaching Kindergarten through 6th grade artists. During her long career, she has also taught art at the middle school level, for young adults with developmental impairment, and served as an artist-in-residence at various public and private school settings.

Cynthia earned a degree in Art and teaching credentials from California Lutheran University. She also earned her elementary teaching endorsement with courses completed through Gonzaga and Whitworth Universities. She has received several arts education awards including the Arts in Education Award from the Spokane Arts Commission and an Artsonia Art Education Leadership Award in 2019.

Within her district, Cynthia has presented hands-on art workshops to specialists and classroom teachers, and curriculum classes to art specialists for Spokane Public Schools Summer Institute.

She has promoted arts in the community through local arts festivals, serving as the art display coordinator for the Spokane Airport and Spokane Public Schools, and organizing the Kress Gallery Elementary Art Exhibit. Students and families enjoyed their work in a museum gallery setting. Every year since 2016 Cynthia planned and produced the Family Art Night at her school.

Cynthia’s art students loved attending her classes where they found their safe space to experience and explore the world of visual art.

Congratulations Cynthia!

WAEA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD- Cece Badda

This year, we honor Cece Badda

with the WAEA Distinguished Service award.

Cece is a National Board Certified Teacher who holds a degree Art/K-12 education from Central Washington University and a Master’s in Education Leadership from the University of Portland. She taught K-12 Physical Education, Health and Visual Art with the Easton School District for forty years.

The Easton School District, located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, serves around 100 students each year. Many districts of this size do not have resources to give their students wide and varied experiences, but this did not stop Cece from bringing opportunities to students during her career. She offered an array of traditional and non-traditional creative outlets with the hope that each student would find a media to resonate with, including cement sculpting, landscape architecture, boat construction and fly tying.

Cece obtained grants for Artist in Residence programs that brought experienced creative professionals from theater, visual arts, music, and dance to work with students. Field trips were taken to artist studios, galleries, glass companies and museums. A visit to an architectural firm in Seattle allowed the students to see career options in architecture, interior design, and engineering, with a chance to view and discuss architectural features seen in historic Pioneer Square.

Cece also led community projects with students for the benefit of local natural areas and state parks, alumni memorials and annual art creations for permanent display at the school. With the K-12 students all in one building artists of all ages were able to work together for many of these experiences.
Students in Cece’s photography classes learned to produce the school yearbook while incorporating graphic design, writing and developing public speaking skills to acquire sponsors for publication. Cece gave back directly to her school community by taking senior photographs with no cost to the students or families.

Cece’s dedication to her students and contributions to arts education community make her remarkably deserving of this award.

Congratulations!

2020 WAEA Award Recipients

Washington State Art Educator of the Year - Sherry Syrie

Elementary Art Educator of the Year - Jillian Nettels

Middle Level Art Educator of the Year - Lily Hotchkiss

Secondary Art Educator of the Year - Isolde Beebe

Museum Art Educator of the Year - Mac Buff

Outstanding New Art Educator of the Year - Kaylee Lishner

2019 WAEA Award Recipients

2018 WAEA Award Recipients

Washington State Art Educator of the Year - Mari Atkinson, Valley View Middle School, Snohomish SD
Elementary Art Educator of the Year - Wanda Leclerc, Salish Coast Elementary, Port Townsend SD
Middle Level Art Educator of the Year - Debbie Supplitt, Wy'east Middle School, Evergreen SD
Secondary Art Educator of the Year - Cyndi Noyd, The River Academy, Wenatchee
Washington Museum Educator Award - Lou Palermo, Maryhill Art Museum
Distinguished Service Award - Diane Garmine
Outstanding New Art Educator of the Year - Rayna Mathis, SAM Coordinator of School & Educator Programs

WAEA AWARDS

We are proud to present YOU!

We are proud to present Austin Ohmas the 2024 Washington State Art Educator of the Year!

We are proud to present Cynthia Gaubas the 2021 Washington State Art Educator of the Year!​

2020 WAEA Award Recipients

2018 WAEA Award Recipients

We are proud to present Austin Ohm
as the 2024 Washington State Art Educator of the Year!

We are proud to present Cynthia Gaub

as the 2021 Washington State Art Educator of the Year!