About Us
We are a group of Vermont art educators dedicated to promoting the essential role the arts play in fully educating our students.
We support and promote our profession by providing discipline specific professional development for our peers at our Fall Conference and workshops throughout the year. We support excellence in art education by recognizing a Vermont Art Educator of the Year in conjunction with The National Art Education Association.
VAEA advocates for art education by exhibiting student work. We host a biennial Youth Art Month (YAM) Exhibit at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier and other sites throughout the State.
The Vermont Art Teachers Association is an affiliate of the National Art Education Association NAEA and our memberships are linked. We participate in initiatives and attend National leadership meetings to keep informed of issues that affect our field. VAEA members present at the National Education Conferences and have been recognized with National Art Education awards. Our members use the NAEA member benefits of free Digication accounts and Artsonia portfolios.
We are governed by an Executive Committee and Board of Directors as stated in our By Laws. Our monthly meetings are open to any members. We welcome and need participation on our board and committees to ensure an active community that supports meaningful and vibrant art education in Vermont.
Check out our community of board members HERE.
Read our By-Laws HERE.
WHERE WE STAND
Vermont Art Educators' stands with the National Art Education Association on the Black Lives Matter Movement. CLICK HERE to read more.
Board Members
Melissa Kristensen - President
Melissa has been a member of VAEA for over 20 years and decided it was about time she took on a leadership role and is President Elect. Since the current president had to do her Art Methods classes under Melissa, it is appropriate that Lisa now gets to teach her. Melissa teaches at Poultney High School and is National Board Certified. When she is not happily creating chaos with her students she loves to paint and travel.
Kimberley Desjardins - Past President
Kim Desjardins is an elementary art teacher and artist working and creating in Fairfax. Her art education experience incudes being a teaching artist through the Vermont Arts Council, Inclusive Arts Vermont, Burlington City Arts, and has taught upcoming art educators at the University of Vermont. She has led many art integration opportunities including collaborative units at Integrated Arts Academy. She explores many media and is currently poking wool repeatedly in some felting endeavors! You can follow her on instagram @bfacreativekids and @bright.spirit.creative.
Rebecca Gove - President Elect
I am Rebecca Gove and in my twentieth year of teaching art. I started my career in Arizona and during that time was on the Arizona art education board co-chairing in the Exhibitor role. I received my master’s of education from Northern Arizona University and was honored to be named Art Educator of the year while living there. I then taught in Blacksburg Virginia for six years and enjoyed doing community art projects with my students. I grew up in New England and was excited to land in Vermont eight years ago. I taught one year at Grand Isle School and I am now at Hinesburg Community School. I love all New England professional sports especially the Red Sox. I enjoy biking, walking, snowshoeing, knitting and my favorite medium is collage.
April Hallock - Treasurer
April Hallock is the art educator and studio facilitator at Waits River Valley School in East Corinth in eastern central Vermont. She’s been loving her career of teaching art to elementary and middle school artists since 2008 and volunteering with VTAE/VAEA since 2018. April enjoys experimenting with a variety of media, especially in e-textiles, bookmaking, and printmaking. Let April know if you need any assistance signing up for any of VTAE/VAEA's wonderful workshops!
Cindy Camber - Secretary
Cindy has been a member of VAEA since 2011. Cindy acquired her Master's in Education from Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona and a Bachelor's in Fine Art from Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington. She currently teaches art to grades 8-12 at Hazen Union School in Hardwick, and for VTVLC (Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative). Cindy feels fortunate to have also taught art at Lyndon Institute for 10 years, as well as at The John F. Kennedy School in Berlin, Germany. A native Wisconsinite, Cindy is a world traveler, having lived in several U.S. states, as well as Germany and Ireland. Cindy is passionate about art history, and experiencing the excitement of seeing a master work of art in real life!
Frances Willard - Secretary Elect
Frances Willard is an art teacher at the Browns River Middle School in Jericho, Vermont. Frannie has been in education for the last twenty years, teaching in K-12 programs in Vermont and North Carolina. She received her Master’s Degree in Art Education from Boston University and her Bachelor's degree in Art from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Frannie loves being surrounded by the beautiful Vermont landscape and wildlife, hiking with her dog, cooking for friends and family, and traveling to new places to learn and be inspired. Frannie works with a variety of art media, but her favorites are clay, watercolor, and photography.
Meghan Dohery- ED&I Chair
Meghan Doherty is an elementary art teacher at Proctor Elementary and West Rutland School. She is a mixed media and fiber artist in the woods of Shrewsbury. She is passionate about Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and has been studying it for over 10 years. She is often found exploring natural spaces, hunting for mushrooms, and snuggling her cats.
Rebecca Carleton - YAM Chair
Rebecca (Rebbie) Carleton has been teaching art to pre-K through Grade 12 Vermont Art Students since 1981. She has been an itinerant art teacher, arts administrator, gallery curator and public school art educator. NAEA selected her as the Eastern Region Arts Educator in 2014 and she was the 2004 Vermont Educator and a finalist for the 2004 Vermont Teacher Of the Year. She has been committed to promoting art education with VAEA in many positions, most recently as the VT representative to NAEA leadership initiatives and as Youth Month Chair.
Jenn Hart - Webmaster / Social Media
Since 2003, Jenn Hart has been on a mission to get K-12 students creating, and since 2016, she's been bringing that passion to BFA Fairfax High School. She’s all about the challenge of coaxing reluctant artists out of their shells and into the joy of making things—one masterpiece (or mess) at a time! In her own art, Jenn enjoys taking traditional craft materials and giving them a new spin. Whether it's using everyday supplies in unexpected ways or mixing up techniques, she’s all about experimenting and keeping things interesting.
Lisa Bresler - Advocacy
I’m a proud tree hugger with a passion for protecting the forests where my elusive friend, Sasquatch, might just be hiding. When I’m not chasing after mythical creatures, I’m daydreaming about unicorns and the magic they bring into the world. Oh, and did I mention? I poop glitter—because a little sparkle makes everything better. Life’s an adventure, and I’m here to embrace it with a sprinkle of magic and a whole lot of fun! Lisa.marie.bresler@gmail.com