News & Events

UNC Asheville’s Mark Sidelnick Named Art Educator of the Year

April 17, 2012

Mark Sidelnick, associate professor of Education and coordinator of Arts Education Licensure at UNC Asheville, has been named Art Educator of the Year by the North Carolina Art Education Association (NCAEA).

Sidelnick was honored for his teaching, mentoring and significant contributions to art education statewide. He is co-author of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction art education curriculum K-12, and he chaired the committee that wrote the professional licensure standards for North Carolina art teachers.

Sidelnick, who joined the UNC Asheville faculty in 1993, teaches courses in art methods and instruction for future K-12 teachers, and supervises student teachers in the field. Dedicating himself to nurturing students' love for exploring, discovering and sharing, Sidelnick says he strives to "serve as a role model, by staying fresh in my own ideas and approaches and remaining enthusiastic in my own learning." Sidelnick is also a touring docent at the Asheville Art Museum.

Sidelnick had been previously honored by NCAEA as Outstanding Higher Education Teacher of the Year; this spring he was honored as North Carolina's overall Art Educator of the Year at the National Art Education Association's annual conference. The NCAEA is a professional, non-profit educational association dedicated to the promotion of visual arts education in North Carolina through a focus on leadership, service, and education.