Of the many goals Peter Vietgen (BA ’87) has achieved during his dynamic 36-year career, reigniting a passion for the arts in future educators tops the list.

The Brock University Associate Professor of Educational Studies was awarded the Ray Blackwell Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Art Education from the Ontario Art Education Association (OAEA) on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

The award celebrates career-long contributions to arts education and innovative teaching practices.

Vietgen said many aspiring elementary school teachers have not engaged with art since they were in elementary school themselves — and making that return can be intimidating.

“My job is to help them discover their ‘artists within’ and spark inspiration so they can bring their skills and creativity to future students. It’s an honour to facilitate this journey for people and has been the joy of my career,” he said.

Art education expert Peter Vietgen (BA ’87), Associate Professor of Educational Studies, received the Ray Blackwell Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Art Education from the Ontario Art Education Association (OAEA) on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Vietgen previously served as a visual arts curriculum advisor with the Toronto District School Board where he supported teachers in developing classroom art programming.

Driven by his work helping others, Vietgen went on to pursue a PhD in Art Education at Concordia University.

Poised to educate and inspire the next generation of teachers, Vietgen returned to Brock in 2004 to teach in the Faculty of Education (FOE) — a full circle moment for him as he completed his undergraduate degree at the University in Visual Arts in 1987.

At the heart of Vietgen’s teaching philosophy is the integration of social justice issues and the use of art to explore complex topics.

“Art can be a tool to heal, a tool to approach education holistically and step back to reflect on things we are experiencing,” he said. “Art has always helped humans understand challenging times of crisis.”

Vietgen teaches the technical design principles of art to Brock teacher candidates but goes further to explore what they can do with it, and how creative skills can bring their ideas to their students and the world.

A firm believer in the power of community partnerships to create positive change, Vietgen worked with the Soaring Eagles program run by Niagara Regional Native Centre and Niagara Catholic District School Board.

Working with Indigenous youth enrolled in the program, he used art to explore the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action.

“I had the honour of being alongside students as they went on a journey exploring their identities through their artwork, which was then exhibited in numerous public venues throughout the region,” he said.

Vietgen also led a community project through his Canada Games grant PARTicipation Niagara 2022: A Celebration of Sports and Art through the Eyes of Niagara’s Young Artists.

The project engaged eight Brock FOE students in hands-on teaching and leadership experiences in schools and education sites across the Niagara region, allowing them to gain practical knowledge and teaching experience while building community through art-making.

“We must continue working with community partners so our students can become even more embedded in our local arts and culture scene. That is holistic education,” he said.

A past president of the Canadian Society for Education through Art (2014-2022), Vietgen received an Arts in Education award from the City of St. Catharines in 2016 and the FOE Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015.

Reflecting on his career, he said advocacy for arts education is more important than ever.

“There is so much happening in the world; we need the arts in our classrooms and for people of all ages,” he said.