Recapping the 2025 ArtsNOW Principals’ Network Conference
The 2025 ArtsNOW Principals' Network Conference was an inspiring gathering of education leaders committed to transforming learning through the arts in beautiful Greenville, South Carolina. This year’s event brought together passionate principals, expert speakers, and advocates for a day of collaboration, innovation, and celebration.
Kicking off the day, David A. Dik, National Executive Director of Young Audiences Arts for Learning, delivered a powerful keynote, reminding principals that arts integration is not just about creativity—it’s about engagement, equity, and student success. His message set the tone for a day filled with insightful sessions, where principals learned from experienced peers and experts about building, sustaining, and advocating for arts-integrated education.
The energy and passion in the room sparked meaningful discussions and a renewed commitment to the power of arts in education. Throughout the day, principals engaged in expert-led sessions designed to provide practical strategies, real-world insights, and fresh perspectives on integrating the arts into their schools. Here are some of the key highlights from our session at this year’s conference!
Sketching a New Vision: Stepping into Leadership of an Established Program
In this session, New Prospect Elementary Principal Briana Wright gave principals advice on stepping into leadership at a school with quality arts programs, helping principals learn to dream big and find their next steps in arts integration. She showed principals how she applied what she learned from ArtsNOW with success at her school. She took principals through her vision of arts integration - one where the parents, teachers, and students are all happy to be a part of an arts-integrated school - and showed them how they can fulfill their visions, too.
Arts Integration is NOT an Initiative
Powder Springs Elementary Principal Kenyatta Frederick used real-world stories and examples to show principals how they can convey the message that arts integration is not just an add-on to instruction - it is a holistic strategy with the power to be transformational. She shared examples from her school, demonstrating how fully integrating the arts into the daily schedule is transforming learning. Through this session, principals were equipped with the knowledge to keep passion and zeal for the arts alive in their teachers and meet district expectations.
Supporting Arts Integration from the District-Level
Director of Visual & Performing Arts for Greenville County Schools Bradley Wingate and Executive Director of Professional Learning and Leadership Development in Fulton County Schools Dr. Brian Keefer took us through ways to remove the boundaries to arts integration and create equitable opportunities for the arts across an entire district. They showed principals an example of a district-level framework for Arts Integration Excellence, helping principals discover structures that support and drive effective arts integration practices.
Beyond the Frame: Communicating Your Success
During this session, ArtsNOW’s Director of Marketing and Development Shenley Rountree showed principals how effective communication can bring a school’s unique story to life and increase visibility and awareness of the excellent work happening at their schools. Shenley helped principals discover how to tailor their messages to captivate families, engage staff, and craft connections with their community. Principals left this session equipped with the proper tools and a framework for communicating arts integration success to both internal and external audiences.
From Elementary to Middle School Integration: Navigating Mindsets and Barriers
In this session, Hesse K-8 Principal Alonna McMullen took principals through many ways to navigate the barriers to integrating the arts that may exist in their school - lack of teacher buy-in, students' fear, and district challenges. By going through real quotes from students, teachers, and parents about arts integration, Alonna showed principals examples of barriers they may face and how they can overcome these mindset barriers. As a result of this session, principals went home with the methods and strategies to change mindsets regarding the benefits of arts integration.
Paint The Path in Year 1: Winning Hearts for the Arts in Education
Ison Springs Elementary Principal Lakasha Lee and Vickery Mill Elementary Karin Alhadeff showed principals how they can paint the path for arts integration at their schools. In this interactive workshop, principals were divided based on their confidence in integrating the arts and discussed individualized solutions for their schools. Thanks to this session, principals were equipped with the knowledge on how to overcome barriers and build a strong foundation for the arts at their school.
Putting Student Well-Being in Arts Integration
This session was led by Lauren Crabtree of Youth Villages Inner Harbor, a psychiatric residential treatment facility with a long-standing partnership with ArtsNOW. She helped principals understand the intersection of student well-being and arts integration. During this season, principals used boomwhackers to represent their feelings and ate candy to understand mindfulness. By diving into the great work at Youth Villages, Lauren highlighted their connection with ArtsNOW and the pure impact that arts integration has when it comes to student well-being.
Refining the Narrative: Using the Data You Have to Show the Strength of Your Arts Programming
Dalisha Shingler, Ph.D, a Research Scientist from the Research, Evaluation, and Measurement Center at the University of South Carolina, took principals through a journey of how to harness data to show the impact of arts education in their schools. She showed principals that by keeping their data in context, they can understand what it truly means and use it to solve challenges. Principals left this session empowered with practical strategies to leverage school climate data, report cards, and district metrics to highlight the value of arts-integrated learning.
The Key Elements to Building and Sustaining an Arts Integrated Elementary School
Angel Oak Elementary Principal Judith Condon helped principals understand ways to build and sustain arts integration at the elementary school level. Using slap bracelets, she brought arts integrated directly into the session and gave principals a year-by-year guide they could use to implement various elements into their school environment. Thanks to this session, principals were equipped with the tools they need to implement a year-to-year plan without making it overwhelming for their school communities.
This year’s Principals' Network Conference was a testament to the power of collaboration, vision, and leadership in advancing arts-integrated learning. From practical strategies for overcoming barriers to insights on leveraging data and district-wide support, each session provided tools principals can take back to their schools and communities.
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