Ericka Ryba is the recipient of the 2017 Tennessee Art Education Association’s First Year Art Educator of the Year Award.
Ericka graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Master of Science in Teacher Education (Art Education concentration) in 2016.
Erica is a first year art educator at Coulter Grove Intermediate School in Maryville, TN. Ericka demonstrates a strong passion for teaching and practicing art. In her classroom, Ericka utilizes choice-based curriculum to promote student agency and purposeful meaning-making in her students’ art. Additionally, she arranged the first ever Coulter Grove ArtFest, featuring student artwork and student-led craft stations. One of her student’s designed a t-shirt that was awarded the top selection to be used for the Dogwoods Art Festival T-Shirt.
Ericka has been active in promoting visual art and art education in the community. She teaches community art classes at Mighty Mud, a ceramics studio in Maryville and at the Knoxville Fine Arts and Craft Center. This year, she served as a juror for the Rhythm & Blooms Guitar Design Contest, was a donor for the Artitude Art Auction, participated in the Cattywampus Puppet Council Parade, and was an installation volunteer for the Tennessee Valley Fair Student Art Competition and Dogwood Arts Student Art competition.
Congratulations Ericka on this prestigious award!