Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Mission Statement

Empowering students through the arts.

The Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts is a statewide, multi-arts organization dedicated to bringing about change in education for all Alabama children by providing training programs for educators in comprehensive arts education.

This mission is achieved by providing:

  • Annual Summer Institute offering immersive training to all classroom teachers in their content areas on how to "painlessly weave the arts into their classrooms"

  • FREE Traveling Arts Road Shows throughout the summer delivered through the ALSDE's Regional In-Service Centers

  • Follow-up sessions for participants who come to any of our sessions

  • Online workshops and lesson plan portal beginning in summer of 2026

  • Up to date information on Arts related events throughout the state

 

Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Transforming Education Through the Arts

Venna Everett - Executive Director

Inspiring creativity every day!

Meet Your Executive Director

Venna Everett

Executive Director, Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts

Venna Everett is a 30-year teaching veteran of the social sciences in Montgomery, Alabama, including 26 years of being the 8th grade American History teacher at Saint James School. She has been able to utilize the various skills she has learned from the Alabama Institute for Education in the Arts to help bring history to life for her students.

After years of teaching in the administrative track of the AIEA's flagship program during the summer, the opportunity to help strategize a new path for the Institute arose, and Venna was named Program Director and Strategist. While navigating the waters for a complete relaunch, Venna was asked to take the helm as Executive Director.

She is honored to take on this new role in addition to her current teaching position, and she is excited to lead an organization that equips other Alabama teachers with the ability to integrate the arts into their classroom.

vennaeverett@artseducation.org
Board Members

Guiding Our Mission

Dr. Margaret Allen

Chairman of the Board

Former Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools

Mr. William Ford

Chairman of the Board, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts; Artist

Mrs. Mary George Jester

Former Principal of LAMP

Mrs. Emily Lowder-Wooten

President, J.K. Lowder Family Foundation

Mrs. Ella Martin

Special Events Coordinator, Landmarks Foundation

Dr. Larry McLemore

Saint James School, Head of School

Mr. Andy Meadows

Arts Consultant, Former Arts Specialist, ALSDE

Mrs. Melba Richardson

Immediate Past Chairman

Former Head of School, Saint James School

Mrs. Emily Thomas

Director of Education and Programming, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

Mrs. Gibral White

Former Assistant Superintendent, Montgomery Public Schools

Mrs. Cathy Hess Wright

Educator, Dance Instructor

Tribute

Randy Foster