Our History 1940-2019
Our History 1940-2019 The History of the Florida Art Educators Association INTRODUCTION At the turn of the twenty-first century, it became apparent to the network of art educators across the state that the Florida Art Education Association (FAEA), their beloved professional organization, was fast losing a record of its history. The digital age was upon them, the pace of change was accelerating, and time seemed to be evaporating. Older members, the keepers of our shared knowledge and tales, were increasingly unable to attend annual conferences or had died. Upon her retirement, Dr. Julia Schwartz, professor of art education at Florida State University, as- sumed the responsibility for compiling Florida Art Education Association history and memorabilia. After her untimely death, the collection was stored for many years in the state archives. With FAEA approaching fifty years since its inception, president Nan Williams thought it the per- fect time to revisit the information and create one historical record. Trips to Tallahassee followed, boxes were scoured for records, photographs were labeled, memories were taxed, and a history was assembled in fits and starts. Later, with the sixtieth anniversary — or more accurately, what we thought was the sixtieth anniver- sary — of the organization approaching, it was decided to celebrate the milestone by creating a special visual display from available materials. The display would become a highlighted feature of the annual conference. Many more records were reviewed, more texts were edited and corrected, and more photo- graphs were collected. The display grew to cover eleven large panels, which extended twenty-four feet. The chronicle, itself, has now become a living document, and the search process is ongoing.
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