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 impact games can have on our mindset. Listen in to hear more from Momo!

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 colleagues do to highlighting their unseen strengths. Discover how being a silent advocate for colleagues in art education can be a powerful act of caring!

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 that explore deeper emotions, art educators empower students to express themselves, build confidence, and strengthen problem-solving skills! Tune in to hear more from Jason!

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 can be intertwined with multimodal learning concepts! Tune in to hear more from Tamryn.

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 educators, and incorporating new technology into the art room. Tune in and hear more from Matt and Laura!

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 strategies you can use to differentiate content and process, assess learners’ needs, and help students showcase their skills. Tune in and hear more from Heather!

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 creating a space where students feel seen, safe, and free to express themselves can build a bridge to healing, connection, and meaningful learning that helps them thrive. Listen in to hear more from Alicia!

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 is and explore the work they’re doing to advocate for arts education on a national level. Take away actionable strategies and resources to advocate for your own arts programs. Ray and Amanda also provide a sneak peek into exciting new projects in the works with the Arts Ed Alliance, be sure to tune in!

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 integrating music and tech can change the way students think about art, especially those students who may not see themselves as “artists”.  Listen in to Rachel’s success stories about how music and tech helped nurture her student’s creativity. 

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. Listen in to hear more from Trevor!