Mary-Ava Marsengill never expected to see her name attached to a statewide honor. So when an email arrived announcing she had been named the Elementary Level Art Teacher of the Year by the Kentucky Art Education Association, her first reaction was disbelief.
“I was completely shocked to hear I had won an award,” she said. “I thought perhaps the organization had the wrong email address. My career, my students, and school family mean so much to me, and I would have been blessed to simply have been nominated.”
This month, the KAEA will formally recognize Marsengill at its annual conference, celebrating her decade of work as the visual art educator at East View Elementary School. Now in her 10th year, she has become a defining presence for students who have lovingly given her a nickname she treasures: The Crazy Art Lady.
“I wear it as a badge of honor,” she said. “To elementary students, everything in the world is new. I love seeing them light up when they learn something and find confidence in the things they make.”
Marsengill’s path toward art education began long before she ever set foot in a classroom as a teacher. She credits a deeply supportive family who noticed her love of art early and nurtured it in every way they could.
“My parents and grandparents saw my love of art at an early age, and they gave me countless opportunities to explore art making and art history,” she said.
She still remembers receiving her first art kit from her Mamaw, the handmade art box her parents built, art camps at the RiverPark Center, and trips to the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. One of the biggest influences came from her 2nd-grade teacher at Country Heights Elementary, Mrs. Maglinger.
“She saw my artistic skill and poured into my life,” Marsengill said.
The inspiration stuck. Soon after, she asked her parents for an Impressionism coffee table book — something most 7-year-olds don’t request. She spent years studying it.
“I remember studying that book backwards and forwards, tabbing the pages of the works I wanted to see in person,” she said. “Thirty years of making art, and tours of over 40 art museums later, I still have that book.”
While creating is a passion, her love for educating children is even greater.
“Even though I love art, I love teaching children even more. I always tell my students that they are my favorite part of my job,” Marsengill said.
Marsengill writes every lesson she teaches, blending age-appropriate skills with art vocabulary, cultural connections, and artist biographies. She aims to show students that art is accessible to everyone — no matter their background or skill level.
“If I could simplify my teaching philosophy into one sentence, it would be that art is the great equalizer,” she said. “Your strengths, weaknesses, setbacks, and skill level do not define you. Everyone can make art.”
Some of her favorite lessons include Gustav Klimt Tree of Life pastel drawings for 2nd grade, Maud Lewis folk painting landscapes for 4th grade, and embroidery for 5th graders.
“I tell my students if they can draw lines and shapes, they can draw anything,” she said. “And I really believe that to be true.”
Marsengill believes strongly in the emotional and academic benefits of art education — and she sees those effects daily.
“Art education is critical for every student,” she said. “The most important impact I have seen is a sense of belonging and pride in students who would not have it otherwise. My classroom is a family where everyone is valued and feels they belong.”
She sees art as both an outlet and an opportunity.
“It does not matter if they failed their math test … or if they are struggling with trauma from home,” she said. “Art can be an escape and a pathway to their future. Art matters.”
Marsengill said her belief is supported by research, with studies showing that students highly engaged in the arts — especially those from low-income backgrounds — have higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and better academic performance. She said arts education is also linked to increased empathy, fewer disciplinary issues, better mental health, and stronger career skills such as creativity, communication, and problem-solving.
Looking ahead, Marsengill remains focused on the students who walk into her classroom every day — young artists who remind her of her own childhood, sitting with that Impressionism book, dreaming of the world she hoped to explore.
“Art is my passion, hobby, my career, and my spiritual gift from God,” she said. “It is cheesy, but the earth without art would just be ‘eh.’”
