The "Art.Bridges.Community" conference was a wonderful success thanks to all the attendees, committee and PAEA Board. In keeping with the theme, a variety of community organizations were invited to participate in the conference. These included the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, The Homeless Children's Education Fund, Artist Workshops from the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, The Andy Warhold Museum, The Frick Art & Historical Center, Pet Search, The 3G Gallery and the Westmoreland County Food Bank. An installation piece of art was created throughout the weekend and will be installed in two homeless shelters of the Homeless Children's Education Fund. Keynote speakers also inspired the audiences with many new ideas. Craig Roland shared ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, while Mike Venezia shared humorous childhood stories that found their way into his books and DVD's. Peter Geisser ended the conference with his experiences of teaching art to students with hearing impairments. Other highlights included the Awards Ceremony held at the Frick Art & Historical Center and the Factory Dinner in which guests ate and created with the Warhol Staff while awaiting the opportunity to win an iPad.

Art museums and museum educators provide out-of-the-classroom experiences for students and teachers to encounter and connect with authentic works of art and cultural artifacts in an exhibition environment that fosters discovery, original observations, sharing of ideas, and creating personal meaning. As art educators, advocators, policy-makers and schools expand their definitions of visual literacy in the 21^st century to include a broadening range of disciplines and media, museums will play an increasingly important role in contributing to well-rounded, empowering art education.  Read more.