麻豆国产

Sutters is recognized for his leadership and instruction in art education

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Justin Sutters (far right), director of Mason's Master of Arts in Teaching Program, and assistant professor Mary Del Popolo (far left) join Mason School of Art students鈥 Sandy Jun, Yoonmi Davies, Christine Choe, Ingrid Galdamez and Ellen O鈥橦earn for senior capstone final presentations in Spring 2019. Photo provided

The first time Hannah Garnier met Justin Sutters, he gave her and her husband an impromptu tour of the Art and Design Building on George Mason 麻豆国产鈥檚 Fairfax Campus.

鈥淚 could tell he was passionate about his program and I couldn鈥檛 wait to join,鈥 Garnier said.

Garnier took three classes from Sutters, and he was also her capstone project mentor. She is now a 2020 graduate of the Program in Mason鈥檚 College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Sutters鈥 enthusiasm and dedication were evident to the members of the (NAEA), who honored him with the 2021 Southeastern Region Higher Education Art Educator Award. The prestigious award, determined through a peer review of nominations, recognizes the exemplary contributions, service, and achievements of an outstanding NAEA member annually at the regional level within their division. The award was presented during the virtual NAEA 2021 National Convention.

"I was rather honored when I received this award considering the incredible art educators in higher education throughout the region,鈥 said Sutters, who is the director of the MAT Program and an associate professor in Mason's School of Art. 鈥淚t was on one hand humbling to be recognized, but also validating of the contributions I have made over the past five years while here at Mason at the state, national and international level.鈥

Sutters said he hopes to continue that trajectory and strengthen existing connections within all three of those levels by extending the reach of his own research and pedagogy, as well as the impact of the MAT Program at Mason and the incredible art teachers it prepares for the field.聽

Kate Jullie, who begins her final year in the MAT Program this fall, said she鈥檚 been lucky to work with Sutters in his roles as director of the program, instructor and faculty advisor for Mason鈥檚 NAEA student chapter, where she is president.

Jullie said Sutters鈥 passion and dedication to the arts and to teaching are evident in his thorough instruction and attention to detail. 聽

鈥淎n avid artist himself, [Sutters] has impressed upon us the importance of continuing our own artistic practices throughout our teaching careers and frequently shares his own art and art practices with us,鈥 said Jullie.聽

鈥淭he Art Education program at Mason continues to thrive under Professor Sutters鈥 leadership and this award is reflective of that success,鈥 said Hasan Elahi, professor and director for Mason鈥檚 School of Art. 鈥溌槎构 Art Education alumni are highly visible throughout Northern Virginia, and Professor Sutters has a 100% placement rate with his students across K-12 schools in the region. Given the broad range of students they reach, this is not only meaningful to Mason, but also has significant impact across all of Northern Virginia in addressing the needs of our growing and quickly changing population.鈥

鈥淗e forces his students, in the kindest way, to dig deep for ideas, themes, and values from which to draw their lesson plans from,鈥 Garnier said.聽鈥淗e drew me away from cookie-cutter teaching formats.鈥澛

Garnier said Sutters is a very knowledgeable professor who guides students into making their own discoveries. 鈥淲ith him it seems there is no 鈥榦ne right answer鈥 to an assignment鈥攈e just wants to see evidence of your learning,鈥 she added.聽

鈥淗e encourages us to consider deeply what each of us can bring to the field of teaching art,鈥 Jullie said. 鈥淗is confidence in our abilities pushes us to be the best that we can be, and that is truly the greatest gift that a teacher can give their students.