Last modified: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 5:32 PM CDT

Art educator wins honor
A University City resident has been named regional art educator of the year.

E. Louis Lankford, the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor in Art Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, received the Western Region Higher Education Art Educator of the Year Award from the National Art Education Association.

Lankford received the award March 16 at the National Art Education Association annual convention in New York City. The award recognizes those who have made exemplary contributions to art education.

Lankford holds a joint appointment between the UMSL College of Education and Department of Art and Art History. He serves on the educational staff of the St. Louis Art Museum and works with the museum to develop and maintain a teaching, research and community outreach program in art education.

"I don't feel deserving of such an honor," Lankford said. "I am nevertheless pleased to have been chosen, and I thank my UMSL colleagues for their support. My sincere hope is that my work has made, and continues to make, a positive and lasting difference in the lives of students and teachers in our elementary and secondary schools." Lankford was appointed an endowed professor at UMSL in 1997. Previously, he served at The Ohio State University in Columbus and was an art teacher at Randolph School in Huntsville, Ala.

The National Art Education Association is a non-profit professional association of art teachers and other people dedicated to the advancement of art in education and national life.