Longtime Farmington Art Teacher Garners Major Honor

Artsonia

FARMINGTON, CT — A veteran art teacher at a local elementary school has been honored with a prestigious award for her education excellence.

Farmington's East Farms School art instructor Andriana Donlon is the recipient of Artsonia’s 2024 Art Education Leadership Award.

The award honors pioneers in the art education community who continuously inspire their peers and engage students.

Donlon’s peers and Artsonia selected her among thousands of instructors as one of 15 national winners of this award.

Upon earning the honor, Donlon said it was “completely unexpected and full of gratitude. I have been so fortunate to have learned from so many amazing leaders. My mentors, old and new, my colleagues in the district, and so many incredible educators from around the world who selflessly share their own amazing talents.”

Donlon is in her 20th year as an art instructor at East Farms School.

“Teaching elementary art exposes you to the unique perspectives and imagination of young learners,” Donlon said. “Their fresh outlook on the world and willingness to experiment can inspire you to see things differently and approach your own artistic endeavors with renewed creativity.”

Donlon is one of thousands of art teachers from over 100 countries around the world who use Artsonia to showcase their student art, crowdsource lesson plans, and help fundraise for their classrooms.

Artsonia is the world’s largest online student art museum, with more than 100 million pieces of art.

It allows family and friends of student artists to create and purchase organic keepsakes from the student art and then gives back 20 percent of all revenue to the local art classroom.

“Artsonia is a fantastic way for students, educators, and families to see the growth and development throughout the years in art,” Donlon said. “I have used Artsonia as a digital portfolio to share students’ progress and celebrate their individuality and creativity.”

“Artsonia strives to provide art educators a platform to inspire one another,” said Jim Meyers, chief executive officer and company co-founder. “We could not thrive without the commitment and ingenuity of teachers like Andriana who use their online gallery and lesson plans to motivate others."

To look at East Farms School in Farmington's online art gallery, click on this link.

For more information about Artsonia, click on this link.