Former teacher Marcia Brown became an internationally renowned author and illustrator of children’s books. Photo Credit: University of Albany

Many talented educators earn recognition for achievements outside their classrooms. Marcia Joan Brown was a spectacular example of this. She was an internationally renowned author and illustrator of children’s books. Marcia has published over 30 books in her lifetime, and she is a three-time winner of the coveted Caldecott Medal, the highest award for excellence in children’s picture book illustrations bestowed by the American Library Association.

Marcia Brown was born in Rochester, New York, on July 13, 1918, one of three daughters of the Reverend Clarence Edward and Adelaide Elizabeth (Zimber) Brown. As a young child, Marcia lived in several small towns in upstate New York, including Cooperstown and Kingston, as her father moved from one ministerial post to another. She was raised in a family that supported artistic expression, and she decided at an early age to become an artist. In a videotaped interview in 1996, Marcia reminisced about the books and artworks in her local public library in Cooperstown, New York, that as a child nurtured her sense of wonder and joy in beautiful things.

After her high school graduation in 1936, Marcia enrolled in New York State College for Teachers (NYSCT), the University at Albany’s predecessor, where she majored in English and Drama. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1940. While in college, her literary and artistic talents blossomed, as she made numerous contributions to the college’s literary and humor magazines.

After graduating from NYSCT, Marcia accepted her first position as a high school teacher at Cornwall High School in New York City. In 1943, she began working in the New York Public Library’s Central Children’s Room. She spent the next six years gaining valuable experience as a storyteller, while also delving into the library’s extensive international and historical collections. She published her first four books while working in the library’s Central Children’s Room.

During her long career as a writer and illustrator, Marcia produced over 30 children’s books, and many of her titles have been reprinted in other languages, including Afrikaans, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Xhosa-Bantu. Critics have marveled at her use of spare texts, strong images, and a variety of media, including woodcuts, pen and ink, and gouache. Her characters are described as lively, humorous, magical, and enchanting, and they include handsome princes, sly cats, evil sorcerers, flying elephants, and snow queens.

From 1955 to 1983 Brown won a total of three Caldecott Medals, the award bestowed annually to the illustrator of the year’s “most distinguished American picture book for children” by the American Library Association. She had been a runner-up six times from 1948 to 1954, and those six books have been designated Caldecott Honor Books.

In her last years, Marcia Brown lived in Laguna Hills, California, where she passed away on April 28, 2015. She was 96 years old.

Visual arts educator Jonee Sutton has been named one of ten top teachers in the state of Indiana. Photo Credit: Beech Grove City Schools

There are many fine visual arts educators who work in American schools. One of them is Jonee Adamson Sutton, who teaches in Beech Grove, Indiana. She has been named one of the top ten teachers in her state. The recognition highlights her unwavering dedication to her students and her outstanding contributions to the teaching profession.

Jonee teaches at Beech Grove Middle School in Beech Grove, Indiana. “Teaching middle school art is tough,” Jonee observes, “the attitude, the crazy, the loud, the lazy, but they are all on their way to becoming wonderful humans!” she says. Jonee has a reputation for nurturing creativity in her students, and for her commitment to fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. She is known for her iinnovative teaching methods and genuine care for her students that have left an impact on her community. She inspires both her colleagues and her students to strive for excellence.

One of Jonee’s innovative programs is her “brave” camp, which she organized In 2015. The program was designed to build self-esteem through the arts and empowerment through creativity. To fund the camp, the innovative teacher secured financial support from the Beech Grove Education Foundation, Beech Grove Middle School teacher Jonee Sutton was able to offer a “brave” camp to these girls.

Jonee earned her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts Education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2004. Her career as an educator spans 21 years. 

Secondary school art teacher Heather McCutcheon has garnered the 2024 New York Art Educator Award. Photo Credit: The Creative Outpost, Inc.

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) announced on April 4, 2024, that Heather McCutcheon, a secondary school fine arts teacher, has garnered the 2024 New York Art Educator Award. Congrats, Heather!

Heather teaches at Herkimer Junior and Senior High School in Herkimer, New York. There she instructs courses in sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, introduction to computer graphics, Advanced Placement Art, and new media.

Heather says she enjoys helping her students to get involved in the community. She has organized real-world projects for her students such painting a mural at the Herkimer VFW, and a vinyl sticker design initiative that helped spread a positive message while giving students practical experience in art.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Heather serves as the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Arts in Education Coordinator. (BOCES stands for Boards of Cooperative Educational Services.) She also serves as the Co-Chair of New York State Youth Art Month. She works with teachers across the state of New York and has national engagements.

The honored educator confesses that, although she always enjoyed drawing and painting, she never took an art class until she was in the sixth grade. This is because she attended private catholic schools as a child. Nevertheless, she is an avid proponent of arts in the classroom. “The arts, and especially the arts in education in schools, helps students become well-rounded individuals,” Heather asserts. “It helps them think outside the box and use creativity.”

Her award as New York’s top art educator is not the only recognition that Heather has earned. Last year, she garnered the same honor. She also earned Art Education’s Youth Art Month Claire Flanagan Grand Award. And she earned an Apple Distinguished Education Award, enabling her to travel to Dallas, Texas, to deliver a showcase speech during the ADE Institute 2023 Americas event.

Heather earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sculpture in 2005 and her Master’s degree in Teaching in 2006, both from the State University of New York, Oswego.

Art educator Troy Corriveau of Alton, New Hampshire, has been named the New Hampshire Art Educator of the Year. Photo credit: Prospect Mountain High School

In a time when many public school districts are decreasing funding for arts programs, it is especially gratifying when arts educators receive recognition for their valuable work. One of these educators is Troy Corriveau of Alton, New Hampshire. He has been named the New Hampshire Art Educator of the Year for 2023—2024 by the New Hampshire Art Educators Association.

Troy teaches at Prospect Mountain High School in Alton. He has taught there for 20 years. This Chalkboard Champion encourages all of his students to participate in programs such as the Scholastic Art Awards of New Hampshire, the statewide Student Art Month program, and local exhibitions of their work. In addition, Troy serves as the advisor for the school’s National Art Honor Society. And he serves as the Department Head and Curriculum leader.

As if all that were not enough, Troy is also a member of the adjunct faculty at the Institute of Art and Design at New England College in Henniker, where he is an instructor of Art Teaching Methods at the Secondary Level.

Troy demonstrates a deep level of concern for his students. “I have found students learn most effectively through personalized active learning that relies on the teacher facilitating and coaching them through their learning journey,” he says. “This approach requires the teacher to listen to determine what the student needs as well what their strengths and challenges are in order for (teachers) to be effective facilitators and learning coaches,” he continues.