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Over 80 attendees from more than 15 different institutions and school districts across the midwest gathered in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s Art Building on April 6 for the 2025 Preservice Art Education Conference.

is a regional conference focusing on professional development for students in undergraduate art education programs. Conference programming centers the needs, concerns, and interests of preservice art teachers and provides early networking opportunities, highlights local art teachers and alumni as presenters, generates early interest, involvement, and advocacy for art education, and gives preservice students an opportunity to present. Conference organizers were assistant professor of Art Education Luke Meeken and associate professor of Art Education Stephanie Danker. Art Education students from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University assisted with planning and managing the conference.

The keynote lecture was given by Marilyn Stewart, professor emerita from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Her talk was titled “Stories and Strategies from Contemporary Artists.” The following day, Stewart gave her autobiographical lecture for the John and Betty Michael Autobiographical Distinguished Lecturer in Art Education lecture series entitled, “Who’s Calling? My Professional Life as a Series of Phone Calls,” at the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum and led a workshop for advanced art education students.

Student presenters this year included sophomore Maria Flores, juniors Ellen Long, Isa Obradovich, and Hal Loomis, and senior Tori Reynolds. Among the in-service presenters were ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Art Education alumni Perry Tatlow, Alivia Link, Katrina Shafor, Karan Witham-Walsh, Liz Krehbiel, Mandi Reed, Jim Bycznski, Terry Haynes, Molly Ensor, Ally McLean, Katherine Coy-Smith, Lacey Clark, and Ariel Rice. Other in-service presenters included host and mentor teachers Lisa Burton and Diana Fazio. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Career Center assistant director and CCA liaison Madeleine Hood presented two sessions: one on resume-building strategies for creatives and the other on portfolio development.

During lunch, attendees had opportunities to win door prizes and enjoy Bodega sandwiches while networking with educators from around the region. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University students Kenzie Rippel, Kailey Stec, Wren Iocaste, Amy Tangeman, Alyssa Shopbell, and Isa Obradovich led art-based networking activities during this time.

Students worked in other specialized roles to help organize the conference, too.

“As the director of sponsorships for the 2025 Preservice Art Education Conference, I partnered with , , , , , , and in order to provide free samples, swag, and door prizes for conference attendees,” said Isa Obradovich, the junior Art Education student behind the initiative. “As a result of my ongoing collaboration with these brands through my social media accounts with a collective 2 million followers, I could leverage my platforms to provide brand exposure for these companies in exchange for enough supplies to distribute to participants.”

Throughout the duration of the conference, attendees had the chance to stop by the Dixon Ticonderoga table for art supply and lesson plan bundles, as well as by the Ohio Art Education Association (OAEA) table for more art goodies, flyers for upcoming local art education events and opportunities, and door prize raffle tickets.

Betsy Smith from Dixon Ticonderoga led a workshop, instructing participants on a cost-effective, age-inclusive, and standards-based lesson: a WonderFoam relief printmaking workshop that used Prang watercolor markers as ink. Door prizes included brush-tip acrylic paint markers from Arrtx, jelly gouache gift boxes from MIYA Arts, Ohuhu alcohol-based illustration markers, sketching bundles in tote bags from the Cincinnati Art Museum, a glass fusing kit from Brazee Studios donated by the Southwestern region organization within the Ohio Art Education Association (SWOAEA), and more. These prizes were raffled off during lunch and at the closing ceremony for those still in attendance. The grand prize: a , generously donated by XPPen, the digital tablet company which donated the grand prize for the 2024 Preservice Art Education Conference as well.

Susan Ruttle Lawrence, director of the Art Education Program at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio, won the grand prize in the final raffle. “I was absolutely thrilled to win the XPPen Magic Note Pad at the amazing Preservice Art Education Conference at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University! I couldn't believe when my name was pulled out for such an incredible prize. I can't wait to utilize it myself, but I also look forward to sharing it with my preservice art education students at Mount St. Joseph University,” she said. “Actually, they will be the ones sharing its uses with me!”

The 2025 Preservice Art Education Conference was made possible by a Career Grant from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s Center for Career Exploration and Success and support from the Associated Student Government. The alumni association provided small gifts of appreciation for the Art Education alumni who presented at the conference.

For more information about the Preservice Art Education Conference, .