Our Threads of Leadership: Conversations in Art Education podcast invites you to join us in reflective conversations with art educators and creative leaders who are shaping the future of the field. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jane Montero, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Middle Level Division Director Elect, to reflect on the unexpected moment that shifted her career from advertising art director to art educator and eventually into leadership at the state, national, and international levels. Jane shares how programs like the NAEA School for Art Leaders (SAL) helped shape her leadership path and discusses the values that guide her work, including honesty, authenticity, empathy, and the courage to keep showing up even after setbacks.

Throughout the conversation, Jane also reflects on navigating the lingering effects of the pandemic in education, the importance of relationships and collaboration in leadership, and the ways she continues to grow intellectually, emotionally, and creatively through reading, research, and artmaking. She closes with thoughtful advice for emerging leaders about staying involved, embracing opportunities even when they feel uncomfortable, and maintaining balance between leadership commitments and personal life.

Hosted by Dr. Abi Paytoe Gbayee and Dr. Yichien Cooper, this podcast is part of our collaborative research project Leadership in Threads: A Fiber and AI-Enhanced Exploration. Through intimate dialogue, the series stitches together stories of leadership journeys, personal values, and creative processes from elected art education leaders across NAEA.

Resources Mentioned:

• National Art Education Association (NAEA): ⁠arteducators.org⁠

• NAEA School for Art Leaders (SAL): https://www.arteducators.org/events-and-opportunities/school-for-art-leaders/

• Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA): https://www.miarted.org/

• Book: Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us (Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross): https://www.yourbrainonart.com/your-brain-on-art-book

• ArtCenter College of Design: https://www.artcenter.edu/

• USC Rossier Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT): https://rossier.usc.edu/programs/find-compare-programs/master-arts-teaching

A special thanks goes out to Emilie Cooper for the episode art design and Ben Cooper for the into and outro music. Your contributions have elevated this work immensely.