Hogg Middle School student Rubi Salazar’s Junior VASE submission is on display.

Tyler ISD is among just 42 school districts across the state that received an honor recognizing its well-rounded education that integrates visual arts curriculum.

The school district earned a 2020 District of Distinction Award from the Texas Art Education Association.

“We are so very excited to receive the TAEA District of Distinction Award for the second year,” Sandy Newton, Tyler ISD director of visual and performing arts, said. “Even though we only had two-thirds of the school year due to the pandemic, our teachers found a way to have a strong visual arts program and to meet the rubric of criteria needed for the designation.”

The 12 grading components for this award include community service, art display opportunities and arts integration.

For the community service aspect, students made ceramic bowls to benefit the East Texas Food Bank under the name, Empty Bowl project, according to the Tyler ISD statement. For art display, student art pieces got to be displayed at the Capitol in Austin for Youth Art Month.

Tyler ISD highlighted the student artwork from every campus with its first virtual art show on the district’s Facebook page. Arts integration in programs was incorporated at Caldwell Arts Academy along with other campuses to make quality results.

“We truly have amazing artistic talent in Tyler ISD, and our teachers do a phenomenal job bringing out this talent in our students each and every day,” Newton said.

Tyler ISD and the other districts will be honored at the TAEA Administration & Supervision Division meeting as a part of the TAEA conference, which will be held virtually, on Nov. 21.