Foundations in Art: Theory and Education
FATE brings together educators who care about how students begin their journey in art and design. We’re a national community advancing foundations teaching, art history, studio practice, and research.
The First-year ART educator’s association
No other organization centers the first-year studio art and art history experience the way FATE does. From that foundation, we support research, scholarship, and studio practice at every stage of an educator’s career.
2027 Conference
April 1–3, 2027 in Charlotte, NC (in-person)
Reimagining Foundations, Systems, and Creative Narratives
Registration opens September 8, 2026
join a community
The FATE community is invested in your teaching, your research, and your growth. Membership opens the door to our biennial conference, FATE in Review, regional events, professional development workshops, and a national network of colleagues who become collaborators.
Awards & REcognition
FATE Conference Awards celebrate excellence and dedication across every stage of a teaching career. Our awards accept both self-nomination and nominations from peers – we encourage everybody across our field to apply directly and welcome nominations for our colleagues.
Juried exhibitIons
Every conference cycle, FATE hosts a members exhibition featuring work inspired by the conference theme. Calls for artwork open in advance of each biennial conference.
fate in review
FATE in Review is our peer-reviewed journal. Published digitally, the journal is a vital platform for scholarly discourse in foundations education, featuring research articles, case studies, reviews, and creative work from artists, designers, historians, and educators across the field.
