Drs. Joni Acuff and Jim Sanders and PhD student Ketal Patel have been appointed to the National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) new National Task Force on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. Last fall, selected NAEA diversity leaders in the art education field drove a thoughtful, thorough review process to determine who best met the criteria for service on the Task Force and who represent a demographic cross-section of the community. Based on their recommendations, NAEA President Kim Defibaugh appointed 18 art educators to the Task Force. Sixty NAEA members applied, underscoring the interest in the effort. The Task Force met for the first time this past January, launching a key initiative to nurture and sustain a diverse, vibrant, professional community. It is part of NAEA’s focus to ensure that its professional community is inclusive and open to all. It is the charge of the Task Force to review NAEA’s history through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion; identify similar initiatives underway with other professional organizations and study implications for NAEA’s work; and understand the demographics of the professional across the NAEA community and throughout the field as a whole.

The Task Force will develop a final report that makes recommendations to the NAEA Board of Directors that includes sustainable strategies for change. To see all members of the Task Force, visit this link. Congratulations to Drs. Joni Acuff and Jim Sanders and Ketal Patel on being appointed to the Task Force!