Turner Center Names Art Educator of the Year

VALDOSTA – The Annette Howell Turner Arts Center recently announced the 2024 Art Educator of the Year Award during the gallery’s exhibition opening reception.

Release:

The Annette Howell Turner Arts Center honored Debra Kantelis with the 2024 Art Educator of the Year Award at the gallery’s exhibition opening reception on June 10.

Kantelis, the sixth Turner Center instructor to receive this award, directs the Turner Center’s arts outreach programs to the Valdosta Housing Authority and Sheriff’s Boys Ranch. She teaches up to nine outreach classes each month, allowing the Turner Center to provide exposure and encouragement to the arts to dozens of young people each month through regular teaching.

Photos from the outreach classes taught by Kantelis are regularly shared on the Turner Center’s social media platforms with the hashtag #ArtInAction. Each photo shows both how seriously the students in the outreach program take Kantelis’s teachings and how much they appreciate the artwork.

The Valdosta Housing Authority team said, “The Turner Center for the Arts, along with Kantelis, have always had a profound impact on the youth in the Valdosta Housing Authority community centers. Kantelis’ unwavering commitment reflects a deep affection for his students and a firm belief in educating children through art. Her unparalleled dedication to her profession is reflected in the time and energy she invests. The Valdosta Housing Authority’s arts program has filled children’s lives with color and joy.

“Kantelis is a talented instructor with a unique ability to engage her students and keep them excited to create each week,” said Hailey Rathmann, Turner Center arts education administrator. “She is very proactive in planning art lessons in advance to incorporate a variety of art mediums, and always puts the best interests of her students first.”

For more information about the Turner Center’s team of instructors and the regular schedule of beginner-friendly classes, visit turnercenter.org, call 229.247.2787 and follow the Turner Center on social media.