K12ArtChat the Podcast

In this episode, Matt and Laura welcome back award-winning art director, game designer, and artist Momo Pixel to talk about her work across the mediums of games, fashion, pixel art, and music! Momo is the creator of the viral game “Hair Nah” as well many other interactives for Hulu, Google, and much more. Momo shares her personal approach to creating art, keeping a positive attitude, and the impac...

In this episode, Matt and Laura welcome back artist, educator, and author Jorge Lucero to share his practices of caring for fellow art educators. Listen in and hear specifically about how writing letters of recommendation turned into an opportunity to lift up the importance of the work art educators do! Jorge shares what goes into these letters, from acknowledging the “invisible” work his colleagu...

In this episode, Matt & Laura chat with returning guest – Jason Blair about the essential role the arts play in young students’ development. Listen in to discover how artmaking supports the growth of critical skills, strengthens students’ ability to communicate complex ideas, and fosters a deeper sense of community. Through playful exploration, multi-modal activities, and imaginative projects...

In this episode, Laura talks with artist, researcher, and teacher – Tamyrn McDermott about multimodal learning! Listen in to learn what this is and how it can be applied in an art classroom. Tamryn shares strategies and activities she’s used in her own experience that art educators can introduce into their existing programs. During the discussion, she also explores how technology and media arts ca...

Back-to-school season is upon us with a new crowd of students and new host of challenges! In this episode Matt & Laura discuss common challenges we face as art educators and how to prepare for them. Discover actionable steps and strategies to ensure a smooth transition, including planning curriculum for the year, creating successful routines, forming a sense of community with fellow art educat...

Honoring learning styles and helping build strong connections is what Differentiated Instruction is all about. In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Dr. Heather Fountain, author of Differentiated Instruction in Art Education. Listen in and explore how art educators can effectively identify the diverse learning needs of students. Discover practical approaches and actionable strate...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Alicia Gray, Director of Art Education at Montserrat College of Art and contributor to the new book by Davis, Restorative Practice in Education through the Arts . As a former art teacher in a trauma informed school, Alicia brings a new perspective to the conversation about the importance of restorative practices in education.  Explore how cre...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Amanda Karhuse, Assistant Executive Director, Advocacy & Public Policy for The National Association for Music Education’s (NafME) and Ray Yang the National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) Director of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, and Special Initiatives. Listen in to learn about Arts Ed Alliance! Discover what this organization i...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by art educator Rachel McLaughlin of 10,000 Trees Music to talk about her passion for art, music, and how art educators can incorporate technology in their art rooms. Discover thoughtful insight into the evolving role of AI-generated sound and music in visual arts and how technology can enhance artistic expression overall. Explore how integratin...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by author and art educator Trevor Bryan to talk about how art can be a powerful tool for teaching literacy. Trevor shares insights from his latest book Narrative Know-How , explores how story structure can build comprehension, and discusses how drawing and visual storytelling can help students with not only reading, but media literacy as well. L...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by Veronica Hicks, Professor of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts to discuss the power of restorative practices in the art classroom. Discover how these practices can become meaningful rituals that support artistic growth and emotional well-being. From restorative circles to reflective project planning, explore...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by returning guest Jorge Lucero to discuss the philosophy around creating knowledge. Listen in and learn how artmaking teaches students so much more than making art.  It supports personal development and underpins life skills students need. From how to embrace failure while experimenting to the analytical process of creating a project, and artma...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by NAEA’s President-Elect Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and her colleague Mary Kate Bergh for a discussion about the importance of play and multi-modal learning! explore topics such as: how multi-modal learning takes shape in an art classroom; what role play takes in nurturing students creativity and engagement; and how art educators can implement multi-mo...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by NAEA’s President – Cindy Todd to talk about how art educators can stay creative over their summer break! Cindy shares a few ways she’s been beating the summer slump, from artmaking in new spaces, getting to local art museums, and general self-care. As well as how carving out space for her creative work during the summer positively impacts her...

To round out the school year, Matt and Mi’Jan talk to Connected Arts Network (CAN) members Cody Puckett and Kim Guadagnoli about how they’re reflecting on this past school year! Cody and Kim share how their school year went, how they grew as arts educators, and challenges they overcame. Learn how they applied action research to their curriculum, including how to get more “buy-in” on projects from...

In this episode, Oral Historian Dr. Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz, Matt Grundler, and Connected Arts Network (CAN) members Elizabeth Zwierzynski and Leslie Grace discuss how they’re keeping the momentum as the end of the school year quickly approaches. Leslie and Elizabeth share how they’ve asked students to reflect on the school year through artmaking, highlighting self-progression, and setting futu...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by professor and author – Connie Stewart from the University of Northern Colorado to talk about “dangerous power of teaching arts education” and what exactly that means to her. Connie also dives into how infusing creativity into the classroom can give students a leg up in other subjects, the importance of critical thinking and emotional intellig...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by award-winning educator and author Jed Dearybury. Listen in as they take a deep dive into the importance of play. Discover strategies for using it to increase curiosity and nurture problem solving skills. Explorehow play can be integrated into classroom routines naturally and learn from Jed as he shares challenges and successes of building joy...

In this episode, the Creativity Department is joined by the authors of Davis Publications’ new book, Restorative Practices in Education through the Arts . Listen in as Lisa Kay, Beverley Johns, and Donalyn Heise explore how restorative teaching practices support, encourage, and build relationships. Discover ways to implement these practices in your art room to build strong classroom communities, s...

Tasha Newton is an art educator who started her career at the elementary level but, after an unexpected shift, she ended up teaching at a local high school and has never looked back! Joined by guest host David Modler, The Creativity Department talks to Tasha about her switch to high school, what projects and mediums she uses to keep her students engaged, how she supports students who are required...

Matt Johnson is the President of Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) and he joins the Creativity Department in this episode to talk about balancing life as a teacher, leader, and maker! Enjoy an engaging discussion about the challenges of managing multiple responsibilities and grasp the importance of setting boundaries to prevent burnout. Dive into the significance of maintaining a personal art...

In this episode of the Connected Arts Network (CAN) series, Oral Historian Dr. Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz, Matt Grundler, and Connected Arts Network (CAN) members Amanda Standard and Melissa Hronkin talk about what it means to be resilient and what it looks like in the arts classroom. Amanda and Melissa share why resilience is important in their classrooms as well as personal experiences where the...

In this episode of the Connected Arts Network (CAN) series, Oral Historian Dr. Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz, Matt Grundler, and Connected Arts Network (CAN) members Jocelyn Latki and Shelly Cole explore how coaching differs from teaching in an arts classroom and the power behind coaching. From sharing vs. imparting knowledge and wisdom, to guiding your fellow educators to help them be the best versi...

In this episode, the Creativity Department talks with Joe Fusaro, artist, educator, and co-author of Davis Publications’ high school curriculum, The Visual Experience . Listen in and explore how contemporary art can foster dialogue and connection in the classroom. Through the use of thought-provoking artworks and dynamic discussions, Joe helps students embrace diverse perspectives and engage in me...

In this episode, The Creativity Department invites Karl Cole back to talk about how art educators can bridge the gap between art history and contemporary art. Specifically, which art styles, artists, and art movements are underrepresented in today’s art education landscape. As well as how we can represent our students in the artists, subject material, and themes we choose to highlight in our art r...