Special to IFN

Iredell Charter Academy of Arts and Science art instructor Mary Hart has been named a recipient of Artsonia’s 2025 Art Education Leadership Award. The award honors pioneers in the art education community who continuously inspire their peers and engage students.

Hart’s peers and Artsonia selected her among thousands of instructors as one of 15 national winners of this award.

“I feel extremely honored to be recognized as a leader in arts education. As art teachers, we always do so much behind the scenes to prepare for and showcase our students’ art. It is encouraging to be recognized for helping to make a difference in the field of arts education,” Hart said.

Hart is in her eighth year as an art instructor.

“I have been blessed to teach all eight years in my local community of Troutman at Iredell Charter Academy of Arts and Science,” Hart said.

After starting private art lessons at age six, she has had a passion for the subject ever since.

“I wanted to be just like my art teacher,” Hart explained. “Exploring the history, artists, techniques, and processes has always fascinated me. I enjoy showing these techniques to students of all ages and sparking their interest in the vast possibilities of art.”

Hart is one of thousands of art teachers from over 100 countries around the world who use Artsonia to showcase their student art, crowdsource lesson plans, and help fundraise for their classrooms.

Artsonia, the world’s largest online collection of student art with more than 100 million pieces of artwork, allows family and friends of student artists to create and purchase organic keepsakes from the student art and then gives back 20 percent of all revenue to the local art classroom.

“I try to tell as many art teachers as I can about the amazing aspects of Artsonia,” Hart said. “Every student at my school has a personal art portfolio that grows with them and stays with them throughout their entire educational career and beyond.”

Artsonia’s 2025 Art Education Leadership Award serves to honor the passionate, dedicated instructors who teach their students to create and value art, produce innovative lessons, and perpetually motivate their peers on Artsonia.

“Artsonia strives to offer art educators a platform to inspire one another,” said Jim Meyers, CEO and co-founder of the company. “We could not thrive without the dedication and creativity of teachers like Mary who use their online gallery and lesson plans to motivate others. This Art Education Leadership Award is a way for us to honor the hard-working, passionate people who help our children cherish art and develop their creative side.”