Nebraska Art Teachers Association
Honors Outstanding Art Educators
NATA Awards Timeline
The following timeline has been established for the NATA Awards process.
Fall Conference - Nominations open
February 24th - Nominations close, Additional nominations for Special Awards, if needed, at Spring Board meeting
March 15th or before - Nominees notified
May 31st - Nomination letter for Special Award(s)
June 7th or before - Materials to Awards Committee
Summer board meeting - Awards selection
August 1st or before - Nominees notified
Fall Conference - Awardees recognized
EDUCATION DIVISION AWARDS
Elementary Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE teaching art to elementary school students and has made additional outstanding contributions in art education beyond the classroom, including school, district, community, state and/or national levels.
Middle/Junior High Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE teaching art to middle/junior high school students and has made additional outstanding contributions in art education beyond the classroom, including school, district, community, state and/or national levels.
Secondary Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE teaching art to high school students and has made additional outstanding contributions in art education beyond the classroom, including school, district, community, state and/or national levels.
K-12 Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE teaching art to a combination of two or more elementary, middle school, and secondary art students and has made additional outstanding contributions in art education beyond the classroom, including school, district, community, state, and/or national levels.
Higher Education Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE teaching art on the post-secondary level and has made outstanding contributions in teacher education, in-service and program development in the classroom and beyond, including community, state and/or national levels.
Frances Thurber PreService Student of the Year
Awarded to a PreService member who has completed student teaching within the last school year and an active student member of NATA/NAEA at the time of student teaching. Candidate must exhibit student achievement in art education at the College/University level.
Art Administrator/Supervisor of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE administering art programs on a district or state level and has made outstanding contributions in program development, staff professional growth, and art advocacy.
Museum Educator of the Year
Awarded to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE teaching and developing art resources and programs in a museum setting and whose work reaches learners in school, community, and statewide programs.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Nebraska Outstanding Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to an individual who meets exceptional standards of excellence and service in art education on local, state, and national levels. It is given to a member of NATA/NAEA who spends at least .51 FTE in art education. In addition to nominations specifically for this award, all Division nominees are added to the pool of candidates. NATA supports the participation of the recipient in the NAEA awards ceremony at the national conference honoring Art Educators of the Year.
Marvin Spomer Novice Art Educator of the Year
Awarded to a novice art educator within the first five years teaching art at least .51 FTE. The award is named in honor of Dr. Marvin Spomer whose service as Art Education Professor at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, formed and inspired many art educators in Nebraska.
SERVICE AWARDS
Roscoe Shields Service Award
Awarded to an individual or organizational member of NATA/NAEA who has exhibited dedication and commitment to art education in Nebraska through sustained leadership and service. It is the highest award the Nebraska Art Teachers Association has to offer. The award is named in honor of Roscoe Shields, a founding member of NATA and recipient of the first service award in 1977. Nominations from NATA members are sent to the Awards Chair and reviewed by the board at the spring meeting. Additional nominations are made at that time, if necessary. The Awards committee makes the final selection at the summer board meeting. A Vita is not required for this award. If candidate is selected they will be asked for a letter of acceptance along with a brief summary of work done on behalf of visual art education in Nebraska.
Eligibility Criteria:
Recipient is a member of NATA/NAEA.
A letter of nomination. The letter should describe the nature and extent of contribution(s) to NATA and/or the advancement of art education in Nebraska. Letter of Nomination: A letter of nomination for the Roscoe Shields Service Award should include the following:
Name and contact information for nominee
Description of the kind of support the person/organization has given to visual arts education in Nebraska
Impact statement: what difference these contributions has made for students, programs, policy, etc.
Send all materials to: nataawardschair@gmail.com
Prism Award
The recipient of this award is not an art educator or member of NATA/NAEA. The Prism award honors a person or organization from outside the field of art education that has made significant contributions to the development/advancement of art education in Nebraska. This may be financial, educational, administrative, or advocacy in nature. Nominations from NATA members are sent to the Awards Chair and reviewed by the board at the spring meeting. Additional nominations are made at that time, if necessary. A Vita is not required for this award. If candidate is selected, they will be asked for a letter of acceptance along with a brief summary of work done on behalf of visual art education in Nebraska.
Eligibility Criteria: Letters of Nomination should address the following eligibility criteria:
Recipient must demonstrate strong support of visual arts education at the local and/or state levels.
Recipient may be an administrator, teacher outside of visual arts, staff development specialist, underwriter, arts organization, state leader, or other advocate for art education.
Contributions may be in the area of curriculum, advocacy, financial support, or the like.
Letter of Nomination: A letter of nomination for the Prism Award should include the following:
Name and contact information for nominee
Description of the kind of support the person/organization has given to visual arts education at local and/or state levels
Impact statement: what difference these contributions has made for students, programs, policy, etc.
Send all materials to: nataawardschair@gmail.com