Tuesday, March 3, 2026
March is Youth Art Month—a time to celebrate the powerful role all arts—music, dance, theatre, and visual art—play in our schools. The arts aren’t “extras.” They are essential to a well-rounded education. They help students think critically, collaborate, express themselves, build confidence, and spark imagination.
To kick off the month, we are highlighting five outstanding art educators from across Wisconsin—representing districts large and small, urban and rural, and a range of artistic disciplines.
Read the full interviews in the latest issue of DPI’s Arts and Creativity Newsletter.
Meaghan Sorensen, Hayward High School
Now a high school art and media teacher, Meaghan Sorensen previously taught K-12 art for 10 years. She traces her own path back to an art student teacher she had in high school who “showed me all the creative things you could do with art.”
These days, Sorensen says her passion comes directly from her students.
“It is never boring, especially with art,” she said. “Even if you give an assignment more than once, you always get different results. I love seeing what they come up with.”
Even students who don’t plan to pursue art long term leave her classroom with lasting skills.
“I think most art processes involve these specifics: problem solving, creative thinking, perseverance, and maintaining an open mind,” said Sorensen. “With these attributes, you have a great base to try and attempt any style of art that you set your mind to. Also, that willingness to simply try something and put yourself out there in a creative way is half the battle. These skills are so transferable to a variety of careers or aspects of life.”
Beyond the lifelong skills her classes build, Sorensen believes the immediate impact can matter even more.
“So often students are going through much more than what they say or outwardly show,” she said. More often than not, just being a place or environment that they feel safe in matters so much more than the subject you are trying to teach them.”
Tisiphani Mayfield, Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Tisiphani Mayfield is a dance educator at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. She has been teaching dance in a variety of settings for more than 20 years, and she says her passion for teaching starts with her own love of learning.
“I love to learn. Education keeps me on my toes, because I always have to know the newest craze,” said Mayfield. “As an arts educator I am always doing research and looking for new inspiration.”
Over her two decades of teaching, Mayfield said the most important lesson she has learned is that “it is always easier to teach when you actually love what you do.”
Some of her proudest moments come when students discover new confidence after pushing through a challenge.
“I am most proud when they find their artistic voice,” said Mayfield. “Especially when they are challenged with something new and it scares them, then they find themselves on the other side of the challenge. That is when they realize they really can do anything.”
But for Mayfield, dancing is about far more than just learning technique.
“Arts helps young people find their voice, their tribe, and their place in the world,” she said. “Even if it’s not what they end up doing for the rest of their lives, it serves as a learning experience for them. For example, they learn how to speak up for themselves, they learn how to stand tall and move even when it’s scary.”
Amber Gilbert, Superior High School
At Superior High School, Amber Gilbert wears many hats—theatre teacher, director, and English instructor. Although a teacher of 17 years, Gilbert is a self-described “student at heart,” and says her love of learning new things, along with making connections, fuels her work.
“Being able to learn about new things and then pass that knowledge on to students is something that keeps me passionate about teaching,” she said. “I also find a lot of joy in making connections with other humans. Forming strong connections with my students and community keeps me grounded in the ‘why.’”
For Gilbert, the arts are transformative.
“There is tons of data that supports the arts in schools,” she said. “It's hard to ignore the benefits to cognitive skills, social skills, creativity, and building empathy. But at the heart of all of this, the arts provide a way for human beings to connect to that fundamental spark of who we are and our purpose. The arts allow us to experience joy and connection. Creating art makes us more human.”
Gilbert says being a theatre director is one of her greatest joys in life.
“It isn't lost on me that I'm making foundational experiences and memories for children,” she said. “I'm helping kids to find a place when they feel lost; helping them to find joy when things seem dark. Theatre can feel like a trivial, superfluous thing, but it is life-changing for many kids.”
Tina Lee, Rice Lake Middle School
In her eighth year of teaching, Tina Lee is a band teacher at Rice Lake Middle School. Over the years, she has also taught K-12 general music and 5th-12th grade band. She credits her own teachers for inspiring her career path.
“Their inspiration and belief in their students is what drove me to pursue music and to inspire the same love within my own students,” she said.
What keeps her passionate about teaching? The energy her students bring each day.
“I love that every day is a little different,” Lee said. “The students give such life to the program. Just getting to work with them every day, seeing those light bulb moments, and getting to make great music has been so lovely.”
Other moments she treasures—and says she’s most proud of—are the small, everyday interactions in her classroom.
“I love that my students are so supportive of each other,” Lee said. “In class, they will always tell each other things like, ‘you got this’ or they’ll clap for one another. They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. The environment is just so welcoming and understanding. It’s something I’ve always wanted to foster in my classroom, so to see it realized is something that brings me a lot of joy.”
Lee said the arts are essential for young people to study for the opportunities it gives them to express themselves.
“Those opportunities to create and express in other areas of life are so rare,” she said. “The arts are a way to showcase other sides of yourself that you might not otherwise get to.”
Josh Calhoun, Rhinelander High School
Josh Calhoun works at Rhinelander High School, where he primarily teaches ceramics. He credits his own teachers, especially his college ceramics professor, for shaping his approach to teaching.
“He was patient and gave great feedback when I had questions. He was consistent with his delivery of information, and he encouraged me to do my best. I really try to emulate his teaching approach with my Ceramics Program at RHS.”
Calhoun has taught for 29 years, and he says what continues to keep him passionate about teaching is watching students truly “buy in” to the work—which can be difficult.
“I enjoy seeing them change and grow from very inexperienced to highly skilled when working with clay,” he said. “I specifically enjoy watching them struggle and grow when it comes to making thrown work on the potter's wheel. Wheel thrown pottery is a difficult skill to become proficient with. It takes time, dedication, commitment and a willingness to grow through failure. Trial and error and learning from your mistakes is crucial to becoming a skilled potter.”
Calhoun says the arts offer students a much-needed balance for the rest of their day.
“Art is a reprieve from the grueling demands of academia,” he said. “Working with clay engages your mind and body in the creative process, which is good for your brain.”