Conferences
The OAEA hosts annual conferences providing opportunities for educators to share and collaborate ideas for curriculum, instruction, and assessment standards to enhance professional learning in art education.
April 10th - 11th, 2026
April 10th-11th, 2026
Ontario Art Education Association champions the power of creative education in a time of rapid change, supporting educators who build vibrant, inclusive classrooms. We celebrate artistic exploration rooted in cultural connection, identity, and community—going beyond the product and fostering deep, meaningful learning through the creative process. There are many ways in which the arts build connections and preserve communities. Sustaining arts education enriches traditions, practice, creative processes, and the time and space to do those things. By spotlighting Canadian artists, enriching practice, and nurturing joy, we help educators and students create art with purpose, skill, and a true sense of belonging.
Prices
Members: registration will be behind the member wall, please sign in
- Member – Early Bird* $225 / Regular $275
- Member – Student $99 (must make a membership, but it’s free! Click here.)
Not a member? Become a member for only $50 and save! Or join us with this non-member rate:
- Non-Member – Early Bird* $300 / Regular $375
*Early bird prices end on midnight of February 28th March 14th
FAQ
?
Western University Faculty of Education
Located in Western University, Althouse Building
Address: 1137 Western Rd, London, ON N6G 1G7
551 Windermere Road
London, ON N5X 2T1
To book your room:
Call Adi at 519 675 5515
or email adi.mehta@spencerhotel.ca
to book today including the OAEA Make It Matter! Conference title and dates. For edits to reservations already created, please also contact Adi.
Guaranteed a special conference room rate, including breakfast:
- $170 for single occupancy (one queen bed)
- $190 for double occupancy (one queen bed)
- $200 for a room (2 queen beds), (2 breakfasts), +$20 for supplementary breakfast if more than 2 people
+ Plus applicable taxes.
*includes parking!
Check-In/Out: Please be advised that your check-in time is 3:00 PM and your check-out time is 11:00 AM. Rooms occupied after 11:00 am are subject to a late departure charge. Early check-in is based on availability and on an individual basis.
Click here for the SCHEDULE PDF.
(Working Draft: subject to change)
See our workshop descriptions and presenters bios here
Keynote Speakers
2026 Sponsors and Trade Fair Partners
Is your company interested in participating? Here is a link to the Industry Partner document.
GOLD SPONSOR
GIFT SPONSOR
TRADE FAIR
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Engage in collaborative transformations, explore new directions, and excite yourself and your students about new possibilities. Develop creative and innovative ways of thinking about global cultures, universal ideas, and a sense of self in a connected world. You will enjoy a series of interactive, hands-on workshops and keynote presenters. Join artists, educators, and contemporary speakers who will inspire you to build a joyful sense of community.
Friday
Opening Keynote Speaker
Que Rock
Title of presentation: Making the Woodlands Dance
Bio: I am a Nipissings First Nation born, multi-disciplinary artist. I started life learning my Anishnaabe and Odawa cultures through ceremonies. As an Anishnaabe graffiti artist, my work has matured from quick pieces into large scale street art projects and canvas work. Using my Anishnaabe teachings and methods, I focus on creating smooth transitions of color, blending abstract form with realism and expressionism. I call my style, “Making the Woodlands Dance.” My goal is to portray the teachings of my ancestors, sacred geometry in all my art forms and create visual healing experience to the viewers.
My art has allowed me to work closely with art directors, city officials, and corporate clients to make their visions come to life. I enjoy working with the people and have collaborated with many artists on projects of all scales from graphic books to videos to murals around the world. I love traveling and seeing art. Most of all, I love to make art and have people enjoy my work.
To learn more about the artist and his work, follow Quentin Commanda’s Instagram @que_rock_
The Original 6 Nations Peace Treaty: A Visual Healing Art Experience
Saturday
Closing Keynote
Kenneth Montague
Title of Presentation: The Wedge Collection – Celebrating Art of the African Diaspora
Description of Presentation: Dr Kenneth Montague is an art collector, curator, and educator. In his talk, he will explain how growing up in a first-generation Caribbean Canadian family informed his life as a promoter and supporter of Black artists. He will showcase some of his many art exhibitions, publications, student workshops, and public programs from the past 25 years, including the celebrated book, album, and touring art show As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic. Montague will also share several examples of artworks from his personal Wedge Collection.
Bio: Dr Kenneth Montague is a Toronto-based dentist, art collector, and the founding director of Wedge Curatorial Projects, a non-profit arts organization. Since 1997 Montague has been promoting both emerging and established artists via exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. His focus is African Canadian and Diasporic art, which he also showcases in his privately-owned Wedge Collection.
Montague has served on the African Art Acquisition Committee at Tate Modern as well as the Photography Curatorial Committee at the Art Gallery of Ontario; he is currently an AGO Trustee and an advisor to their Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora. He is also a Trustee of the Aperture Foundation, and a recent member of the jury for the Scotiabank Photography Award, Canada’s largest photography prize. Montague is a frequent panelist at international art symposiums and has been invited to lecture on contemporary art at the National Gallery of Canada, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Studio Museum in Harlem, among other institutions. His curatorial projects include ‘Becoming: Photographs from the Wedge Collection’ and ‘Position As Desired: Exploring African Canadian Identity’. In 2021 the Aperture Foundation published the award-winning title ‘As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic’, a celebration of works from his Wedge Collection; an associated exhibition is currently touring North America.
For his efforts in supporting the arts and his mentoring of emerging creatives, Montague received an Honorary Doctorate from OCAD University, Toronto (2016).
Please join us Friday, April 19th at 7 pm for our Keynote speaker and an opening reception.
Toronto Catholic District School Board
Address: 80 Sheppard Ave E, North York, ON M2N 6E8
Saturday
The Ontario Art Education Association, in partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, is pleased to share the expertise, face-to-face, with visual arts and media arts educators who are committed to OAEA’s mission to “provide leadership in the development and support of visual arts and media arts education in the province of Ontario.”
Designed by colleagues, for colleagues, the OAEA Conference offers a breadth and depth of professional learning opportunities to inform, inspire, and prompt exemplary education practice, supported by timely and practical research. All session proposals were thoroughly adjudicated by a panel of OAEA members and the Conference Committee to ensure a range of viewpoints and diverse experiences in elementary, secondary, college/university, museum/gallery, and Community.
OAEA Conference 2024 Program
Check out some of the previous conferences hosted by the OAEA to learn about keynote speakers, presenters, and their presentations.
To see the content for all the conference sessions, login to the member-only content.
If you are currently not a member but are interested in accessing member content Please Join Us.
Professional Documents
Engage in collaborative transformations, explore new directions, and excite yourself and your students about new possibilities. Develop creative and innovative ways of thinking about global cultures, universal ideas, and a sense of self in a connected world. You will enjoy a series of interactive, hands-on workshops and keynote presenters. Join artists, educators, and contemporary speakers who will inspire you to build a joyful sense of community. See the conference content here!
Reshaping the future of the world through art
Remodeler l’avenir du monde par l’art
Emergence occurs when divergent, multiple, and at times contrasting elements interact and come into relation within a larger system. We turn to art so that we can open spaces for transformative collaboration. We invite everyone to re-imagine how the world can be reshaped by visual art for the future and to address emergent art education sub-themes including decolonization, gender, social activism, accessibility, environmentalism, wellness, creative process, play, intersectionality, and embodiment. See the conference content here!
Our theme focuses on innovative partnerships, contemporary arts practice, inspiring online solutions for virtual Visual and Media Arts classrooms, and the celebration of authentic voices & diverse perspectives.
See the list of past Speakers & Presenters.
To see the content for all the conference sessions, login to the member-only content.
If you are currently not a member but are interested in accessing member content, please Join Us.
Our theme is “Moving Forward” – Visual & Media Arts Education, which supports innovative contemporary arts practice and celebrates authentic voices & diverse perspectives. We emphasize student-centred, inquiry or project-based pedagogy, and are supported by classroom practice and/or research evidence; That model approaches to global competencies; Inspire leadership and cooperation among arts educators and/or students; Provoke meaningful debate and dialogue about current issues and directions that define visual and media arts education; Showcase strategies for designing curriculum and assessment that supports Ontario guidelines; Present diverse perspectives in response to timely trends and practices in contemporary visual, media & popular culture.