Teaching Award

Celebrate exceptional educators

In honor of Edward Maxedon's three decades of service to the field of education, each year we recognize an individual who exemplifies Mr. Maxedon's belief in the value of talking about works of art.

Apply or nominate an exceptional Pre-K–12 educator who:

Inspires students to identify and articulate what they see in an artwork in their own words.
Ensures that each individual is heard, valued, and validated for their contributions to discussions about art.
Fosters excellence, creativity, and innovation.

Contact Kelly Jordan to learn more about the process for nominating a teacher.

My early visits to the IU Art Museum [and] conversations with fellow students about art, history and culture were critical to my development as a human being and as a teacher. I don’t know what I would have done had the museum’s collection not been available to me.
Clyde Gaw, 2021 Maxedon Award winner

Maxedon Award winners

Clyde Gaw

2021 winner

Clyde is a veteran art teacher with 37 years experience working in a variety of K12 settings. He currently teaches at New Palestine High School and is also the studio instructor at the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) Institute at MassArt. A practicing artist, Clyde has an MAE degree from Herron School of Art & Design ('01) and a BS from Indiana University ('84). He is a founding member of the TAB Educators Forum, TABstock professional learning community, and has served on the TAB Board of Directors since 2007. Clyde is the advocacy advisor for the Art Education Association of Indiana and has written and presented extensively about the transformative value of art education in the lives of children. He is a regular contributor to the podcast, "Blocks Paper Scissors," with longtime collaborator Clark Fralick.

Noel Koontz

2020 winner

The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art is pleased to announce that Noel Koontz, teacher at Academy of Science & Entrepreneurship in Bloomington, Indiana, has received this year’s Edward Maxedon Award for Excellence, Creativity, and Innovation in Art Education.

Koontz served as a guest educator throughout the 2020–2021 school year, engaging in a variety of educational initiatives with the museum.

Clark Fralick

2019 Winner

The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art is pleased to announce that Clark Fralick, the art teacher at Sugar Creek Elementary School in New Palestine, has received the first Edward Maxedon Award for Excellence, Creativity, and Innovation in Art Education. Fralick served as a guest educator during the museum's reopening year, engaging in a variety of educational initiatives with the museum.