About Us

Dedicated to excellence in teaching college-level foundation courses in studio art, design, and art history

WE’RE SHAPING FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE ART EDUCATION

FATE is a highly active, volunteer-run association for educators who shape the first years of a college art and design education. For nearly five decades, our members have worked together to sharpen the methodologies, theories, and practices of foundations teaching, and to connect that work to studio practice and scholarly research across the field.

Our reach extends across art and design programs at independent colleges, universities, and community colleges, as well as undergraduate high school programs, throughout the United States and Canada. FATE is represented at most major higher education conferences, advocating for foundations education and the people who deliver it.

Every two years, FATE hosts an immersive gathering of artists, designers, historians, and educators who share one goal: making the foundational experience in art and design a springboard for a successful academic and professional life. Between conferences, we extend that mission through regional events across the country, conversations among educators on FATE’s Positive Space Podcast, and our peer-reviewed journal, FATE in Review.

FATE is an affiliated association of the College Art Association (CAA) and SECAC, two of the largest professional organizations in the visual arts and art history. Through these affiliations, FATE sponsors sessions at both the CAA and SECAC annual conferences, giving our members opportunities to present their teaching and research on a national stage, broaden their professional networks, and carry the conversation about foundations education into the wider field.

Most of all, FATE is a community. If you care about how students begin, you belong here.

Meet our Board

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President

Jaime Carrejo

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design

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Communications

Courtney Ryan 

Savannah College of Art and Design

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Community Engagement

Jjenna Andrews

Mott Community College

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Design and Branding

Gigi Polo

The New School

Development

Vacant

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Editor FATE in Review

Becky Black, PhD

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design

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Finance

Kevin Kao

Furman University

Membership

Vacant

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Programming

Millian Giang Pham

Auburn University

Social Media

Vacant

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CAA Representative

Meredith Starr

SUNY Suffolk County Community College

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SECAC Representative

Neill Prewitt

Georgia State University

our committees

Community Engagement Committee

The Community Engagement Committee builds community across FATE, creating spaces where every foundations educator feels a sense of belonging. Throughout the year, the committee hosts virtual gatherings that keep our community connected between conferences, including FATE Town Halls, meetup groups, assignment swaps, graduate student connections, and professional development workshops. These events bring the spirit of FATE to educators everywhere, especially those who can’t always travel to the biennial conference.

The committee also advises the board on ways to strengthen equity and access across FATE’s programs and collaborates with the Conference Planning Committee to ensure our programming reflects the full range of voices in foundations education.

Community Engagement Committee Members:

  • Jjenna Andrews, FATE Community Engagement Director, Mott Community College
  • Kevin Kao, FATE Finance Director, Furman University
  • Billi J London-Gray 
  • Colleen Merrill, Bluegrass Community & Technical College
  • Eddie Villanueva
  • Forrest C Lawson
  • Miles Halpern
  • Jessamyn Lovell
  • Mattie Hernandez

Interested in joining? The Community Engagement Committee welcomes new members.

Members Conference Planning Committee

The Members Conference Planning Committee shapes the heart of FATE’s biennial gathering. Working alongside the board, committee members help develop the conference program from the ground up: reviewing session proposals, curating panels and workshops, and building a program that reflects the breadth of foundations teaching and research across the country. Serving on the committee is one of the most direct ways for members to shape FATE’s future. It’s also a meaningful form of national service, offering experience in peer review, program development, and event planning alongside colleagues from institutions of every kind. 

Members Conference Planning Committee Members:

  • Millian Giang Pham, she/her, FATE Programming Director, Auburn University, Assistant Professor, Art & Art History
  • Jjenna Andrews, she/they, FATE Community Engagement Director, Professor of Studio Art, Mott Community College,
  • Sarah Heyward, University of New Mexico – Valencia Campus, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Gallery Coordinator, Fine Arts, Film, and Digital Media
  • Christine Adame, Texas Woman’s University, Assistant Professor, Graphic Design & Foundations
  • Michael Medeiros, University of Massachusetts Amherst, recently graduated graduate student in Ceramics and Foundations
  • Zach Wollert, University of Arkansas Little Rock, Assistant Director, Windgate Art School

Interested in joining? Committee recruitment begins in the year leading up to each conference.

Interested in joining a committee?

Reach out! We’re always looking to welcome new members.

Contact Us

WE’RE COMMITTED TO INCLUSION & DIVERSITY

As an organization, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education (FATE) is devoted to empowering art educators teaching college-level foundations. We strive to create a community of professionals who are supported with pedagogical resources, community networking, and professional support to promote excellence and innovation in curricular development. Inclusivity is fundamental to achieving our mission.

We understand that community is a broad concept that exists in many forms and contexts. At FATE, we are committed to creating spaces that reflect a multitude of perspectives and respect different viewpoints. We encourage and actively seek participation from diverse voices, including people that have been historically marginalized.

We believe that a rich community of voices enriches art, pedagogy, and professional practice discussions, expanding opportunities to implement innovative ideas. We are also committed to creating strategic initiatives that can promote community in our programming, conferences, workshops, home institutions and across art and design foundations in higher education.

statements & reports

State of FATE (PDF)

By-Laws 2025 (PDF)

Finance Report 2023–2025 (PDF)

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“FATE has been a great resource for sharing and encountering ideas and approaches for the classroom, building professional relationships, and navigating arts academia with a sense of purpose and camaraderie.”
SAM KINGUniversity of Arkansas

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