Freeport Middle School art instructor, Joy Cawiezell, deserves recognition for her commitment to art education and her dedication to showcasing her students’ efforts in the art room. Cawiezell uses Artsonia.com — the world’s largest collection of online student art portfolios — for displaying more than 10,000 pieces of student art throughout her time at Freeport Middle School, creating lifelong portfolios for budding local artists and an extensive online gallery for the school. “Meeting the 10,000 milestone in my fourth year at Freeport Middle School feels like a huge accomplishment,” Cawiezell said.
Cawiezell has been teaching art for more than 14 years. Her students fuel her passion for art education. “I’m inspired by the wonder and creativity my students share with me through each project we tackle. I love to see them realize that they can do amazing and beautiful things,” Cawiezell shared.
Cawiezell and Freeport Middle School have been maintaining digital student portfolios for three years. In addition to accumulating over 10,000 pieces of art on Artsonia, Cawiezell and Freeport Middle School have connected over 1,000 friends and family members to student galleries. Cawiezell’s efforts have created a more arts-centric community, as students’ works of art are now visible to audiences worldwide. “I started using Artsonia almost 12 years ago at my first school and have brought it with me to every art position I’ve held since,” Cawiezell said. “My students don’t just photograph their work. They archive it, they write about it, they share it with others, and they often go back through it to look at their progress over the years.”
Cawiezell is one of thousands of teachers worldwide who use Artsonia to create online student art galleries and portfolios. Parents and relatives can view the art online, leave comments, and order keepsakes featuring the artwork. As part of its mission, Artsonia donates 20 percent of merchandise revenue directly back to local classrooms and has given back more than $17 million to local classrooms since 2000. “Our mission at Artsonia is to bring communities together to celebrate children’s artistic expressions,” said Jim Meyers, CEO and co-founder of the company. “Teachers like Joy — who are passionate about the process of creating, recognizing, and cherishing student art move that mission forward.”
Artsonia is the leading online platform for student art portfolios, featuring more than 125 million works of art from students in over 100 countries. The platform helps teachers showcase student art digitally, organize lessons, and fundraise for their classrooms. Families can view student art, leave comments, and order custom keepsakes featuring the artwork. Since 2000, Artsonia has donated more than $17 million to school art programs through its 20% giveback program.
To learn more, visit artsonia.com.
