Paul Topolos grew up in Northern California and studied fine art in the US and UK. His lifelong interest in movies led him into the entertainment industry where he began work as a storyboard artist for the video game division of his childhood hero, George Lucas. After learning many skills and working on several well received projects he went on to Lucasfilm where he briefly storyboarded on Star Wars Episode I and later was a pre-visualization matte painter on Star Wars Episode II.

In 2002 Topolos came to Pixar Animation Studios. He has painted on nearly every feature film from “Finding Nemo” to the current movies “Cars 3”, “Coco” and “Incredibles II”.

He has worked as a sketch artist, storyboard artist, color script artist, concept designer, and matte painter on many classic Pixar movies and shorts. He has also spoken and taught around the world and is currently using his time outside of work to complete his first children’s book.

Join animator Paul Topolos as he shares some incredible stories about the work he has done on films such as The Incredibles, Cars, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Wall-E, the Star Wars prequels and many more. Paul will share some looks at his work as an animator, a storyboard artist, concept designer, art director, painter, and 3D modeler, and talk about the world of art and education.

Amanda O’Shaughnessy is an elementary art teacher in Overland Park, KS. She holds undergraduate degrees in Art and Art History and a Masters of Arts in Teaching. Amanda has over eight years of teaching experience in a wide variety of settings ranging from teaching from a cart to developing curated art tours.

In addition to teaching art, Amanda is passionate about applying her creative efforts to the company she runs with her husband, Ocean and Sea. Follow her creative journeys on Instagram at @oceanandsea and @artoshaughnessy.

Finding the perfect keepsake fundraising project is difficult. How do you balance the goal of creating something families will want to purchase with letting your students use their creative voices?

Join Amanda O’Shaughnessy as she shares one successful solution. Using quality materials from Jolly, Amanda will take you through the process of helping your students create an engaging, individual drawing project they and their families are sure to love. Walk away with a new way to look at fundraisers with Art to Remember!

Susie Belzer is an elementary art teacher in Fort Atkinson, WI. She is passionate about creating a positive learning atmosphere for her students. Susie loves to connect with other art professionals on Instagram, and you can find her there @artwithsusie.

Get ready to have some fun as Susie helps you discover the wonderful world of monoprinting! Learn how to create a wide variety of prints while creating collages and bringing essential art concepts to your students. Susie will share specific techniques that are perfect for beginners and experts alike. The techniques shared in this presentation are sure to get your ideas flowing!

Sara Engel is in her 4th year of teaching K-5 art. She’s worked in Somerville, MA and currently works in Cambridge, MA. She loves introducing her students to mixed media projects and believes that getting messy is an important part of the process.

Outside of the classroom, she enjoys photography, thrift shopping for treasures, and spending time with her wife Caitlin and amazing daughter Penelope.

Get ready to have some fun as Sara helps you discover the wonderful world of sculpture! Learn how to create a wide variety of projects while bringing essential art concepts to your students. Sara will share specific techniques that are perfect for beginners at any age level.

Walk away with the ability to teach your students about form, texture, color, and more using multiple mediums. The techniques shared in this presentation are sure to get your ideas flowing!

Maggie Maggio is an architect, artist and art educator who has studied and worked with color for over forty years. Her personal explorations into the science of light and pigments led to the creation of workshops for artists and designers who want to incorporate the latest research in color science into their creative practice.

Leslie Barnum graduated from the Pacific Northwest College of Art with a BFA in Painting. She worked for several years as a textile designer and learned from experience how to work with color. Leslie is currently teaching painting classes at the Vibe of Portland’s Studio for ages ranging from preschool through middle school. For the past six years she has used CMY primaries to teach color mixing for all ages and loves learning from her students by watching them explore and play while they create. As a teacher, she encourages them to find their own intuitive approach to color in creating their work throughout the year.

Do your students ever get frustrated when mixing colors? Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can’t quite get a good purple using red and blue. But swap red for magenta, and then the oranges get weird. What’s an art teacher to do!?

Join Maggie and Leslie as they teach you how to expand the traditional primary palette, so you can mix any color you want. Learn exactly which colors to keep on hand to mix the vibrant hues your students are sure to love. Plus, walk away with project ideas for preschoolers, middle schoolers, and all ages in between.

Nicola has devoted her career to creating powerful learning experiences with works of art for students and teachers. Through her years of experience as an arts integration specialist, art teacher, and museum educator, Nicola has gained expertise in how students learn through art, and how teachers can effectively leverage the power of art to support all learners.

Nicola is the author of The More We Look, the Deeper It Gets: Transforming the Curriculum Through Art (Rowman and Littlefield, 2018).

In this presentation, Nicola will discuss how educators can use art inquiry to increase student engagement and support higher-order thinking skills. Join her in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as she showcases the benefits of teaching art history and how a pyramid of inquiry can be used in your classroom.

Nick Gehl is currently the Department Chair of Fine Arts at Evanston Township High School, just outside of Chicago. He enjoys helping teachers create unique learning opportunities for art students and works to ensure the art department has a “seat at the table.” Nick is currently interested in how art education intersects with race and equity, performance, and leadership.

For students in today’s high-stakes world, it can seem like failure isn’t an option. But, as art teachers, we know failure is a vital component of the art-making process.

Join Nick as he shares how to create a safe art room environment where failure is welcome and encouraged. Learn how to help students of all ages view failure as a positive step forward instead of something to be afraid of!

Rachel Albert is a middle school art teacher in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to her role developing curriculum and engaging students through a wide range of instructional approaches in the art classroom, she is also the school’s Technology Coach. She strives to engage all students in art education through integrated learning, and school-wide initiatives. She has developed a curriculum that uses technology in novel and innovative ways such as blended learning, using art-related apps and google classroom to support learning and bringing student voice into art experiences.

Are you overwhelmed by the myriad of tasks to do and problems to solve in your classroom each day? From grading hundreds of students to finding an effective way to communicate with parents, there are so many things that keep art teachers up at night.

Join Rachel Albert as she shares how Google Classroom can help with those issues and so many more. Rachel will share 5 ways you can use this platform in your art room starting as soon as tomorrow. Discover how you can use Google Classroom with your students and make your busy art teaching life easier!

Dr. Tiffany Carr has been a teacher and leader in the field of Art Education for the past fourteen years with experience in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Her interests include explorative teaching and learning methods, play-based learning, and Thirdspace. Dr. Carr enjoys providing diverse and innovative learning opportunities, as well as facilitating professional development and presenting on current issues and trends. Dr. Carr strives to influence the creativity and outlook of students, teachers, and others in her community in a positive way.

Are you looking for ways to reclaim your joy in teaching? If so, this presentation is for you! Join Dr. Tiffany Carr as she shares how to build resilience and fight teacher burnout.

Dr. Carr’s research into teacher well-being has informed books, articles, and courses on the subject. Learn from her expertise as she gives you inspirational and actionable steps to find that spark once again!

Jesse Armstrong is an elementary art teacher in Charlotte, NC and holds degrees in both Art Education and Art Therapy. She has over five years of experience teaching, creating, and working alongside students with special needs. Jesse has also served as a curriculum writer and has presented at numerous professional development sessions within her district. Follow her everyday art adventures on Instagram @ Mrs.Artstrong.

Are you interested in improving the overall wellness of your students? The field of art therapy just might have the tools you need! In this presentation, Jessie will share how to incorporate art therapy ideas and techniques into your classroom. No matter your age level or teaching philosophy, this presentation has something for everyone.

Lena Rodriguez is the High School Painting and Drawing Director at the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy in Grand Prairie Texas. She is in her 12th year of teaching and focuses on creating a positive culture within her studio, conducive to exploration and conceptualism.

Being an art educator is about so much more than teaching technical skills. It’s about helping students see that art can be a powerful medium through which to tell the stories that need to be told.

This is a big responsibility. It means you must teach your students to be historians, social commentators, and community stewards. While it may seem overwhelming, taking on this challenge produces powerful results. Join Lena as she shares ways to help your students fulfill their artistic potential and learn to take their work out of your classroom and into the world for the rest of their lives.

Kristy Lopez is a middle school art educator in West Orange, NJ. She studied Art History and Art Education at New Jersy City University, dabbling in a variety of media while deepening her appreciation for philosophy and art criticism.

Kristy is part of the Board of Directors for the Art Educators of New Jersey and co-chairs the state’s Youth Art Month program.

Are you about to take on the challenge of working with clay? Whether this is your first time or you’re looking for new ideas, this presentation will have something for you! Join Kristy as she shares suggested materials, hand-building techniques, common safety concerns, and anchor chart suggestions. Then, be sure to check out the Ceramics Basics – Kiln FAQ presentation in the After Pass where you’ll learn about the stages of clay, bisque firing, glazing, and kiln materials. It’s everything you need to know to have a successful ceramics experience with your students!

My name is Kasie Knight. I am an elementary art teacher in Dallas, Texas. I love teaching children, and I am equally as excited to extend my scope of knowledge and ideas to teachers with the ability to inspire other students. I received my Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of New Orleans and a Master of Education from Northern Arizona University.

My educational and personal philosophy is to inspire and help others develop passions that can assist in societal growth and innovation. My hobbies include hiking, jogging, reading, and traveling. I love learning about foreign cultures, linguistics, and etymology. I also have a strong passion for finding art hidden in the worlds of math, science, and technology.

If you’re looking for engaging projects to bring STEAM concepts into your classroom, look no further! Join Kasie as she shares a slew of projects that will make you, your students, and your administration happy.

Learn how to use 3D glasses, origami microscopes, and so much more. Walk away inspired to try something new and exciting in your classroom!

Wynita Harmon is an elementary art facilitator in Plano, TX and has been teaching in Title I schools for 13 years. She is currently working on her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and is dedicated to being a life-long learner to promote a growth mindset. She provides meaningful experiences for her students using the TAB/Choice-Based philosophy that fosters innovation, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking skills and collaboration in the art studio.

Teaching positive social and emotional skills can help build trust, respect, and community in any classroom. Join Wynita as she shares how to learn more about your students, build relationships, and facilitate their social and emotional growth. Then, watch your students blossom into proactive problem solvers in your art room!

Debi West has been teaching children through the vehicle of the visual arts for 25 years. Debi has extensive experience at both the elementary and high school levels, is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher, and has been recognized numerous times for her contributions to the field.

Debi holds a variety of advanced degrees in Art Education and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in language and literacy at the University of Georgia. She is currently pursuing her dream of consulting and working with teachers to implement PBL learning.

We know that having our students work in sketchbooks or visual journals is essential to their artistic growth. But it can be challenging to develop meaningful prompts and find time to assess all of that work in a meaningful way.

If you’re feeling stuck with the visual journaling practices in your classroom, you’re in luck! Join Debi as she shares easy ways to get your kids working with mixed-media and gives strategies for quick, meaningful assessments. Walk away with a solid plan take visual journaling to the next level in your classroom.

Jonathan Juravich is the 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for 2018 National Teacher of the Year. Over the past year, Juravich has been able to advocate for high-quality art education at a state and national level, as well as the importance of intentional character education within K-12 school settings.

An effective classroom and school community is built on strong relationships that foster trust, support, and commitment.

In this presentation, Johnathan will share the importance of engaging students in the discussion and development of critical social/emotional skills, including empathy and awareness. Learn how to provide safe educational environments where students are valued for who they are!

Sarah Ackermann is a veteran educator with experience teaching from Kindergarten to the graduate university level. She also boasts international experience, having recently lived and taught in Zurich, Switzerland. Her graduate work includes a masters degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2006, and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, St. Louis in 2014. She is incredibly passionate about the field of art education, as well as educators with like-minded, creative and hardworking sensibilities.

Art educators are epic multitaskers! We balance teaching with curriculum development, after-school activities, art shows, and so much more. The list feels like it goes on and on.

Brain breaks are a great tool to recharge both personally and professionally. Furthermore, your students can reap the benefits of brain breaks in the classroom! Join Sarah as she shares some of her go-to brain breaks. Many come with a creative twist making them perfect for the art room setting!

Mallory Tolcher is a visual artist working mostly in sculpture, installation, and community art. Her artwork stems from her love of basketball, as she hand-makes and installs basketball nets on abandoned hoops in various neighborhoods. As an arts educator, Tolcher uses her love of sports and athletics to engage students who are at-risk. Her focus is to empower youth to build strong relationships with their communities, both locally and nationwide, and develop a lifelong passion for the arts. Tolcher recently facilitated a community art project in Palmerston, Ontario, where her students with special needs painted a mural directly onto the public basketball court.

Instilling passion and pride in your students begins with creating connections to your community. In this presentation, learn how to reach out to your various communities to bring real-world and authentic collaborations into your classroom. Walk away with practical approaches to community art and specific fundraising strategies. In addition, learn how and where to ask for participation and permission and see various projects you can try in your own school’s backyard!

Don Masse teaches at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy, a public elementary school with a visual arts focus. He writes about his art room experiences on his blog, www.shinebritezamorano.com. He is a contributing editor for Arts & Activities magazine, where he shares ways to incorporate living artists into the elementary art curriculum.

In this presentation, Don will share a vibrant demonstration of chalk pastels and show a variety of ways students can work with the medium. He will also show how contemporary artists can inspire your lessons and your curriculum, whether you are creating abstract, figurative, or collaborative work.

My name is Sara Gaechter, and I am in my fourth year as an artist educator. I currently teach an awesome group of 7th grade student artists in Downtown Los Angeles, California. I’m originally from Connecticut and grew up in a family of teachers. I attended school at Ithaca College, and graduated with a B.A. in Art Education and a minor in Art History. Following graduation I moved to Los Angeles with my puppy and significant other and began my teaching career. I love teaching more than anything, and particularly enjoy exploring new ways to make artwork analysis and creation a vehicle for discussing contemporary social issues.

In this presentation, learn how to bring graffiti art into your classroom through a unit that is engaging and meaningful for all students.

Sarah will share how to introduce artists that will captivate students and lead to great discussions and how to scaffold assignments. Walk away with the ability to implement graffiti projects into any classroom, no matter the age and skill level!