Zanesville City Schools art teacher receives Avant-Garde Award for excellence in field

Photo+provided+by+the+Zanesville+Museum+of+Art

Photo provided by the Zanesville Museum of Art

By Jessica Johnston, Assistant News Director

The Zanesville Museum of Art is honoring local art teacher Wilma Lawn for her dedication to enriching children through the arts with the Avant-Garde Award for Excellence in Art Education.

Lawn, who has worked for ZCS for over 15 years, was chosen by the Zanesville Museum of Art along with a seven-member committee for the third-annual award.

The $1,000 award, sponsored by the Community Bank, is presented to one Muskingum County art teacher each year that goes “above and beyond the call of duty” within their field and is a role model to local youth, according to a media release from ZMA.

“Wilma Lawn is a dedicated art educator who cares deeply about her students,” ZMA Education Coordinator, Misty Johnson, said in the media release. “A great advocate for the arts, she’s a fantastic role model to her students. She just puts in so much extra time because she cares so much about giving them an amazing art education experience.”

According to the release, Lawn is described by many in the community as abundantly generous and going far beyond expectations to help her students. An example of her dedication arose when she told a student to reserve a piece of his work for an art exhibit, and he responded that he would not be able to attend as his family did not have transportation. Lawn responded, “Well, I will pick you up.”

“Arts education is wonderful because it teaches kids how to be creative…how to problem solve, and it’s one of those things they can enjoy for the rest of their lives,” Lawn said in the release. “It’s just a great opportunity…they really enjoy it and appreciate it, and that makes me happy.”

The Avant-Garde Award for Excellence in Art Education will be awarded to Lawn by Zanesville City Mayor Jeff Tilton, ZMA Executive Director Laine Snyder and Community Bank President and CEO Eric Holsky during the opening of the Muskingum County K through 12 Student Art Exhibition on Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. The opening will be held in the ZMA’s Great Gallery.

ZMA is open to visitors on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission for adults is $6, children and those 60 and older receive $4 admission and children under 10 are free. There is free admission on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.