The Ohio Art Education Association has selected Upper School art teacher Carrie Barnett as its 2021 Ohio Art Educator of the Year.
“Art teachers all over the state are working hard to create amazing experiences for their students,” Mrs. Barnett said. “For OAEA to select me as Ohio's 2021 Art Educator of the Year is amazing! I honestly do not know what to say. I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition and I could not have done it without constant support, encouragement and creativity from family, friends, colleagues and my students."
Since arriving at The Summit Country Day School, Mrs. Barnett has revamped the Upper School’s art department.
Summit students are back to winning art awards, they produce artwork at rate that even the bulletin boards in the school hallways cannot sustain and interest in the arts program is so great that classes that were extinct are returning to the course catalog.
Perhaps the biggest testimony to her is that students are choosing Summit because of Mrs. Barnett’s arts program.
“Carrie has accomplished all that we wanted and more and she has done it faster than I ever thought possible,” said Kelly Cronin, Upper School Director.
With 26 years of experience in art education before coming to The Summit, Mrs. Barnett has also served as an adjunct professor of art at Miami University where she received her master’s degree in art education. Mrs. Barnett has been a leader in the state art teachers’ organization since 2009. In 2019, she was president of the OAEA. She was named the OAEA Southwest Ohio Outstanding Art Teacher in 2009 and Ohio Outstanding Secondary Teacher in 2014.