The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is proud to announce Alex Brown, Director of Programs & Audience Engagement, as the recipient of the North Carolina Art Education Association's "Art Educator of the Year" Award, Museum Division. The award was announced at the association's annual conference in Wilmington, North Carolina in late October 2022.
Alex joined the SECCA team in 2014. In addition to planning and executing SECCA's exhibition programs, Brown hosts a variety of educational programs for PreK-12 and college students, including guided field trips, workshops, and summer camps. Brown also hosts a monthly "Second Saturdays" program at SECCA, offering free, family-friendly art activities inspired by current exhibitions.
"The arts are fundamental to the human experience," said Brown. "They challenge us with different perspectives, changing our points of view so we can see and experience the world in new ways, nurturing values like empathy and tolerance. Organizations like the NCAEA and initiatives like SECCA's Portable Gallery are determined to make access to the arts and art education more equitable, so we can all learn to express ourselves and better understand the ways in which others choose to express themselves."
Under Brown's leadership, SECCA launched the Portable Gallery initiative in October 2021. The Portable Gallery is an outreach initiative that provides students with greater access to the arts by bringing original works by NC-based artists directly into PreK-12 classrooms. The Portable Gallery is available to visit schools in Forsyth County and the surrounding counties, free of charge to teachers, students, and schools. The Portable Gallery has reached more than 2,500 students since launching last year.
The North Carolina Art Education Association (NCAEA) was founded in 1965 as a professional, non-profit educational association dedicated to promoting and improving the quality of art education in North Carolina. NCAEA is an active advocate for promoting visual arts education in public and private K-12 schools, higher education, museums, arts centers, and arts councils across the state.
For questions and inquiries, or to schedule a visit from SECCA's Portable Gallery, contact Alex Brown at alexander.brown@ncdcr.gov.
