As creative collaborators and arts advocates, Laura and Matt Grundler strive to help connect the dots for educators by building a professional learning network infused with art.  They understand the power of the creativity to transform learning and work to empower educators to leverage this power.  The Grundler’s are art educators from Plano, Texas. They are also proud parents, bloggers and founders of the popular Twitter Chat #K12ArtChat and “The Creativity Department” podcast.   After teaching middle school art and high school art, Laura received an MA in Educational Leadership and worked as an assistant principal before moving into the role of district Visual Arts Coordinator, Matt started out as a graphic designer; however after finding the commercial side of design to be unsatisfying, he soon found his niche as a K-5 Art teacher and now teaches middle school art. Both Laura and Matt are passionate about raising their three creative kids, sharing their love of art education with their professional learning network and continuing to grow everyday.  Their work has been recognized by their school district, featured in the local press and honored by Texas Art Education Association, with the 2nd ever Lone Star Advocacy Award for their commitment to arts education.  They have also been recognized by the National Arts Education Association with the Art and Technology Community Service Award.  Laura and Matt have consulted with and written for the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, Scholastic Arts Magazine, and now Adobe Edu.  They enjoy consulting and presenting about creativity, arts education, and STEAM both locally in Texas and throughout the United States. TheCreativityDept@gmail.com 

Brea M. Heidelberg is an arts management educator, consultant, and researcher focusing on the intersection of the arts and other fields of study. She joined the Entertainment & Arts Management faculty in 2017 and currently serves as Program Director at Drexel University. She works to instill a respect for both theory and practice in her students and clients. She has served the field as Vice President of the Association of Arts Administration Educators, Co-Chair of Americans for the Arts’ Emerging Leaders Council, and on the editorial board of the American Journal of Arts Management.

Dr. Heidelberg earned her PhD in Arts Administration, Education and Policy from The Ohio State University. Her research interests include professional development issues facing arts administrators, arts advocacy rhetoric, and (inter)national cultural diplomacy.

Dr. Heidelberg’s consulting work focuses on human resources issues in the nonprofit arts, particularly issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her consulting practice Dr. Heidelberg addresses issues such as employee recruitment and retention, organizational structuring, and succession planning. She also assists arts organizations with board development, organizational and program evaluation, and strategic planning. She enjoys bringing her work in the field back into the classroom to prepare her students to be thoughtful leaders. Dr. Heidelberg thoroughly enjoys office supplies, graphic novels, and getting back to her first love: dance.

Michael Bell is a renowned American artist, TED speaker, author and educator with family roots in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. As an artist, Bell is most famous for his larger-than-life sized narrative painting series and for his celebrity portrait clientele, which includes John Gotti, Dominic Capone and numerous actors from the Sopranos, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale and more.

As a former 3X national award-winning teacher of the year, some of Bell’s honors include: the Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award, the CollegeBoard’s William U. Harris Award, the NAEA’s National Art Honor Society Sponsor of the Year Award, the Los Angeles Good Shepherd Community Service Award, and Scholastic Art National Medalist Educator honors. Bell is National Board Certified and has spent his career pioneering the Visual Journaling movement, in addition to being a champion for children Autism and World Mental Health matters. Prepare to get out of your comfort zone and become inspired to make “Moments into Movements” fearlessly with Michael Bell.

Bell currently resides in Maryland and is Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts for Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. Website: https://MBELLART.com