The West Virginia Art Education Association has recognized two West Virginia University employees for their contributions to the field.
Terese Giobbia, coordinator of the art education program in WVU’s School of Art and Design, was named this year’s recipient of the the Association’s Higher Education Art Educator of the Year Award. Joyce Ice, director of the Art Museum of WVU, was recognized for Distinguished Service Outside the Profession.
The purpose of the West Virginia Art Education Association is to advance West Virginia art education and promote the arts as essential elements in education programs. To that end, WVAEA sponsors conferences, programs, and exhibits; produces a newsletter, maintains a website; provides a means for addressing common problems of art educators; seeks to educate the public about aims, purposes, and issues of art education; and works with other related agencies and organizations in support of art education.
“I was incredibly honored to have received this award,” Giobbia said. “I moved here last year from Illinois and have enjoyed working with all of the amazing and incredibly accomplished teachers and members who are part of this group.”
Giobbia’s research includes design and technology education, fashion as public art, and using design thinking and fashion in the K-12 art curriculum. She has conducted national and statewide workshops using a variety of unconventional materials such as duct tape, toilet paper and garbage bags as well as 3D printing techniques to create innovative fashion items and accessories. These techniques and materials are explored in her new book Everyday Fashion, scheduled for publication in 2017.
Joyce Ice has been the director of the Art Museum of WVU since 2009 and oversaw the planning and development of the new building and its educational programs. Since opening in late August 2015, the museum has had approximately 5,000 visitors, including individual and group visits by the general public, as well as more than 1,200 students in pre-K through graduate school coming for class tours.
“I appreciate this award from the WVAEA, recognizing the contributions the Art Museum of WVU is making to art education in the state,” Ice said. “The exhibitions and programs serve teachers, as well as their students. We held Summer Teacher Institutes at the museum in 2010 and 2012, with the support of the West Virginia Humanities Council, and we plan to continue professional development activities for teachers in the future.”
The Art Museum was honored at this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony for excellence in the arts. It also recently received a 2016 “Best of Morgantown” Award given by Morgantown Magazine.
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CONTACT: David Welsh, WVU College of Creative Arts
304.293.3397; David.Welsh@mail.wvu.edu
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