Barnhart named Montana Art Educator of the Year

Broadus High School Art Teacher Connie Barnhart was recently presented with the prestigious Montana Art Educator of the Year Award, presented by the Montana Art Education Association.

Connie was nominated for the award by Kate Ruland, art teacher at St. Labre and former student teacher under Connie, 17 years ago. Broadus Superintendent Jim Hansen and Principal Denise Ternes both wrote letters of recommendation for Barnhart's nomination. An excerpt from Denise's letter, with a few of Connie's accumulated teaching accolades is shown below:

"I always ask Connie how she is able to get seemingly regular students to produce such amazing art. This is evident in the success her students have experienced over the years. Many first-place art awards have been showered on our Broadus students, such as the National Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural Design Contest, Montana State Aeronautics Art Contest, Montana VFW Patriotic State Art Contest, Montana Sun Safety video, Montana Jr. Duck Stamp Contest, and the Montana Congressional Art Contest. Community support has been demonstrated by Connie's students being awarded many Grand Champion Powder River County Fair projects, Recycled Art Awards, and supportive student art winners such as the Powder River Trails logo. Connie has had many students published in "Signatures from the Big Sky". In fact, Connie has posted over 7,500 student works on Artsonia and was awarded the Artsonia Leadership Award!

Connie received national recognition when she received a U.S. Presidential Scholar Program Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Presidential Scholar, DarAnne Dunning named Connie as her most influential teacher and Connie was invited to Washington D.C. to receive that plaque. State activities include presenting three workshops at the MFPE (formerly MEA-MFT) educational conferences. Community awards include teaching Adult Education Art in our community for many years (approximately 15 years) and she has taught art to children in our after school literacy program (Bug's Life) for over 15 years. Connie was a recipient of a "Teacher of the Year" Award from our Broadus Education Association and from our local VFW. In the Prairie View Consortium, which is responsible for generating curriculum for regional schools, Connie served as one of the Art Curriculum Committee members. Connie was selected as the Outstanding Community Member Award for creating art, signs, and creative projects with her students for the betterment and beautification of our school and community. Connie modeled excellence by placing 2nd in the National American Mothers' Art Contest for her pastel portrait entry. Connie also does commission portraits, and drew portraits at the Billings Summer Fair for ten years. She is also instrumental on our progressive community recycling board."

Upon winning the award, Connie received a crown made of art supplies, designed and built by last year's Art Educator of the Year award winner, April Fox of Turner, MT. Connie will, in turn, make a crown for next year's winner.

Barnhart will now go on to represent Montana at the national competition, in Minneapolis, Minnesota later this year.

We at the Examiner are happy to see that Mrs. Barnhart has been awarded for her 38 years of work in helping to broaden the creative scope of Broadus students, and are proud to have had her as a teacher.