Diverted Flight Path: The California Art Education Association’s Progress Toward Sustainable Runways

Abstract

Art education associations across the United States have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the force of societal change has impacted all aspects of both the personal and professional lives of teachers. Leadership that is elected and currently serving during this point of inflection find themselves in turbulent positions that demand adaptation to stay relevant as well as “flight plans” that responsibly steward organizations toward sustainability and future succession. As COVID-19 moves into an endemic phase and art educators shift their practice toward embracing the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and access (EDIA), the California Art Education Association (CAEA) has taken bold action to confront contemporary challenges. In this article, I share a perspective on organizational change that both traces the evolution of EDIA work within CAEA and provides a preliminary flight plan that outlines current activities and potentialities for future sustainable initiatives.

Acknowledgments

The metaphor of the “flight plan” used throughout this article is adapted from Rolling’s (2022) ED&I Commission history. My gratitude to both Veronica Hicks and CAEA president-elect, Anna Pilhoefer, for their insights into the history and development of the CAEA ED&I Commission. Thank you to the Studies in Art Education reviewers who offered insights, inspiration, and encouragement.

Notes

1 The actual number of journals mailed to members is 17,073; of the members, 16,720 reside in the United States. The exact numbers were provided on March 31, 2022, by Christie Castillo, NAEA Director of Member Services and Database Operations.

2 Other content, such as editorials, letters to the editor, and book reviews, were not counted in the totals.

3 Fluctuations in the number of articles identified with a sociocultural, civic engagement, and social justice focus could be the result of special issues, historical events, and other social factors that inspire contributing authors.

4 Senior editors of Art Education from 2015 to present (Rolling, Kraehe, and Kantawala) are also credited with helping to shift trends related to antiracist content connected with curriculum, pedagogy, and research.

5 https://www.antiracistartteachers.org/home.