Education
- Ph.D. (Educational Administration with Dissertation in Art Education), The University of Arizona
- M.S. (Art Education with a Focus on Cultural Diversity and Acculturation), Florida State University
- B.S. (Art Education with a Focus on Painting), Radford University
Certification
- Type A Teaching: Art, K-12
- Type B Administrative: Principal
Areas of Expertise
Katherine A. Schwartz is a nationally recognized art educator and arts education advocate. Her work includes developing community, regional and national partnerships to improve education in the arts.
She is currently the Director of the School of Art, Design, and Art History at James Madison University, providing leadership for programs devoted to innovation in art, art education, art history, architectural design, graphic design, and industrial design. Previously, she developed and directed the Art Education Center at JMU, which provides K-12 art teacher certification for hundreds of students.
In addition to her professional work in the arts, Schwartz is a marathon runner.
Previous Experience
Prior to her work at JMU, Schwartz taught aesthetics, philosophy, art education, and tests and measurements at the University of Alaska at Kenai Peninsula College. Schwartz was a presenter and faculty member for the 1988-1996 Getty Institute for Education on the Visual Arts. She directed the Alaska Center for Excellence in Arts Education from 1991-1996 and the Alaska Alliance for the Arts from 1997-2000.
Her experience also includes teaching above the Arctic Circle in Selawik, Kivalina, and Noorvik, Alaska. She has taught all grade levels of K-12 art, directed school district comprehensive art programs, and designed standards-based curriculum and program assessments.
Professional Affiliations
- Served on the Board of the Directors for the National Art Education Association as a vice-president, representing the NAEA Pacific Region
- Served as a consultant for the Getty Center Education Institute for the Arts
- Served on the board of directors for the Kenney Center’s Alliance for Arts Education Network in Alaska, the Alaska Art Education Association, the Virginia Art Education Association, and the Arts Council of the Valley
- Served as the chair for three divisions in the VAEA: higher education, research, and advocacy
- Developed and directed "Integrate the Arts with Integrity,” promoting comprehensive literacy in the arts for all students in Alaska. The institute supported the Kennedy Center's campaign “Creative Ticket for Success”
Honors And Awards
- 2017-18 Outstanding Art Educator of the Year Award from the Southeast Region of the National Art Education Association
- Art Educator of the Year from Virginia, and the Art Educator of the Year for Higher Education from the Southeast Region of the NAEA
- Art Educator of the Year Award from Alaska, and the Art Educator of the Year from NAEA’s Pacific Region
- National Think Quest Team Award for creating the web site ArtFul Minds
- Imaginative Learning certificate of recognition for developing summer institute program to improve education in the arts; Alliance for Arts Education Network, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
- Research and program grants from the Getty Center, the Kennedy Center, Alaska Airlines, the University of Alaska Special Projects Fund, The Virginia Commission on the Arts, and The Arts Council of the Valley, and James Madison University
Selected Presentations
- The Role of the Arts in Learning
- Understanding the World through the Eyes of the Artist
- Integrating the Arts with Integrity
- Understanding Contemporary Art
- Teaching Comprehensive Art Education
- Preparing New Art Teachers
- Art Images and Learning
- Focus on Aesthetics
- Art, Reading and Comprehensive Literacy
- Teaching Art is Teaching Culture
- Creating ArtFul Minds
- The Arts and Healing
- Strong Communities and Strong Art Programs
- Everyone can Express Themselves in the Arts
- Integrating the Art Curriculum into Grade Level Themes
- Art Education Assessments
- Art Images and Reading Comprehension
- Art History and Social Studies
- Aesthetics for Children
- Art Criticism and Writing
- Integrating Art into Every Subject in the School Curriculum
- Art Educators on Art Education
