06/11/2026
It’s time for ! Do you know that the NAEA Delegates Assembly was officially established in 1971? Read on to learn more about the history of NAEA’s Delegates Assembly!
States Assembly to Delegates Assembly: Delegates Assembly elected its own officers until the 1989 constitution proposed that NAEA Regional Vice Presidents would preside over it, improving the group’s organization as an integral part of NAEA. The constitution also stated commitment to the DA’s work and to how decisions and important matters that originate in DA move forward for consideration by the Board. With the DA role defined, true governance in action—by members, for members—became a reality.
In 2010, interest group chairs were invited to also participate with nonvoting delegates. Over the past 25 years, DA members have made major contributions to platform and position statements. DA meets once a year, in person; prior to advances in technology, the ability to conference call or work virtually throughout the year was limited, resulting in a growing frustration as there was no mechanism to assure that important initiatives generated were acted upon and carried out. Improvements in the online presence of NAEA through the website, and additional technology resources made available to members, meant the NAEA Board and DA members were more connected. Ultimately, this has streamlined the work of DA—no longer requiring 2 full days of work at the National Convention, now enabling delegates to participate more fully in the overall Convention experience.
Major contributions over the past 25 years are platform and position statements that have been reviewed, organized, and added to by the many DA members.*
*Source: Gabbard, S. J. (2022). “States Assembly to Delegates Assembly.” In R. Diket & D. Burton (Eds.), Celebrating 75 years: National Art Education Association in 2022—Abridged version (pp. 20–21). National Art Education Association.
