In a classroom filled with color, creativity, and the hum of imagination, Iola Middle School art teacher Grace Luther helps students see the world a little differently. This fall, the Kansas Art Education Association (KAEA) is recognizing her for doing just that, naming Luther the 2025–2026 Outstanding Middle Level Art Educator of the Year. She’ll receive the honor Friday, Oct. 10, during the KAEA Fall Conference in Hiawatha.
Luther, now in her sixth year teaching at Iola Middle School, said the recognition came as a “great honor.”
“I’ve been going to these conferences every single year and seeing people receive their awards,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘I hope I get that good someday.’ So the fact that they think I am worthy enough to receive such an honor — I’m very flattered, very honored. I get very emotional about it.”
Luther was nominated by Dr. Charity-Mika Woodard, a professor at Emporia State University, who praised her as “a dedicated and inspiring art educator whose commitment to her students, colleagues, and the broader art education community sets her apart as truly exceptional.”
Dr. Woodard added, “Her passion for art education, dedication to her fellow teachers, and genuine care for her students make her an exemplary candidate for this honor.”
A NATIVE of Buffalo, Kan., Luther earned her associate degree in general education from Neosho County Community College before completing her bachelor’s degree in PreK–12 Art Education at Bethany College in Lindsborg. She taught at Neodesha High School for several years before joining Iola Middle School, where she’s built a strong reputation for creativity, compassion and leadership.
IMS Principal Brad Crusinbery described her as a teacher who “has excelled in the classroom and continually goes above and beyond to help and encourage students.”
Luther said her favorite part of teaching art is seeing how her students’ creativity unfolds in unexpected ways.
“I might give them an assignment, and they come up with something incredibly interesting or something extremely well done,” she said. “Sometimes they even say, ‘No, I’m going to do this thing,’ and that’s not what I asked — but I like it. That’s great.”
She especially enjoys watching her students grow over time. “Seeing them go from a timid little sixth grader to a very confident eighth grader before they head to high school is awesome,” she said.
BEYOND HER classroom, Luther has also been an active member of KAEA, serving previously as the Southeast Kansas Regional Coordinator and now as the organization’s Middle School Representative on its statewide board. In those roles, she has helped organize and promote regional professional development sessions for art teachers across southeast Kansas.
“She’s been instrumental in supporting southeast Kansas art education events,” Dr. Woodard said. “She volunteers her time and expertise to help organize and promote drive-in sessions that have strengthened our regional network of art teachers.”
For Luther, the recognition is not just about personal achievement, but about representing the hard work and creativity of art educators everywhere. She and other award recipients will be honored at a banquet during the conference in Hiawatha.
As Luther prepares to accept her award, she says the recognition feels like both a personal milestone and a celebration of the art education community she loves. “It’s really special to be part of a community that values what we do,” she said.
