WYAEA Spring Conference 2026 is Coming to Laramie.

There are moments in the school year when you feel it — that need to recharge, to reconnect, to remember why you chose to teach art in the first place.

This is one of those moments.

The Wyoming Art Education Association Spring Conference is happening March 21–22, 2026 in Laramie, and it’s shaping up to be an inspiring, hands-on, community-centered experience for art educators across our state.

This isn’t just another conference.

It’s:

• 🎨 Hands-on workshops you can actually use on Monday
• 🎤 Inspiring keynote voices that challenge and energize
• 🤝 Real conversations about teaching art right now
• 💡 Creative collaboration with your people

We’ll also kick off the weekend with a Special Friday Night Event at the University of Wyoming Art Museum — because art educators deserve to gather, celebrate, and connect in beautiful creative spaces.

And here’s something I’m especially excited about:

Pre-Service Educators attend FREE.

If you are a student teacher, practicum student, or art education major — this is your invitation. Come build relationships. Come find mentors. Come see what our Wyoming art education community looks like in action.

Why This Matters

As art educators, we often work in our own rooms — sometimes isolated in our buildings, sometimes the only art teacher in our district.

The WYAEA conference reminds us:

We’re not alone.
We’re part of something bigger.
We are building the future of art education in Wyoming together.

So come ready to create.
Come ready to learn.
Come ready to leave inspired.

Registration is open at the WyAEA website.

Let’s make art together in Laramie.

— David
Mr. DW’s Art Room

One thing you’ll learn pretty quickly in Mr. DW’s Art Room is this: we don’t just “make projects.” We experiment. We test. We pay attention.

Today’s studio time was all about small pinch pots and big curiosity.

I threw together a handful of simple pinch forms not masterpieces, not portfolio pieces, just honest little clay vessels meant to gather information. I’ve been testing out a series of raku glazes that I plan to fire in a microwave kiln (because yes, sometimes art class feels like a controlled science experiment).

These pieces are really just test tiles in disguise.

I was watching for:

Thin pinch spots and how they respond to heat

Where glaze naturally pools

How surface texture affects the final finish

What happens when control starts to give way to chaos


Ceramics has a way of humbling you. You can plan all you want, but once fire gets involved, it becomes a collaboration. That’s the magic. That’s the learning.

In this room, we talk a lot about process over perfection. When you approach clay like a lab, mistakes stop being failures and start becoming data. Observe. Adjust. Refire. Repeat.

This experimentation is leading toward something bigger. I’m developing a hands-on workshop for the 2026 WyAEA Spring Conference in Laramie (March 21–22), with a special Friday night session at the museum on the 20th. The goal? To help educators and artists embrace that sweet spot between structure and spontaneity—between teaching and tinkering.

Because in Mr. DW’s Art Room, art and science aren’t opposites.

They’re partners in curiosity. 🔥🏺

Growth is part of the creative process. We sketch, refine, adjust, and sometimes step back and say, “It’s time to level this up.”

That moment has arrived.
Mr. DW’s Art Room officially has a new logo and refreshed brand identity and it reflects the bold, colorful, creative energy that fills our classroom every day.

But here’s the thing, Mr. DW is not just a teacher. He’s an artist at heart, and creativity is his full-time passion. Beyond the classroom, he runs a website called DW Designs, where he showcases his work as an artist. He also connects with a broader creative community through social media under Art with DW, along with another blog under the same name.

✨ Why the Rebrand?

As the art room continues to grow both online and in the classroom, it was time for a visual identity that could grow with it.

The new logo was designed to:
Be clean and recognizable across YouTube and other social media

Display clearly on mobile, desktop, and TV screens

Capture the energy, color, and creativity of our space

Present a modern and cohesive look

This redesign combines bold typography, vibrant color, and iconic art elements to instantly communicate what we’re all about:

Create. Inspire. Learn.

🎨 What the New Logo Represents

Every element reflects the heart of this space:

💡 Big ideas and lightbulb moments

🖌️ Hands-on creativity

🌈 Bold color and artistic confidence

🔥 Energy and excitement for making art

If you’ve ever stepped into the classroom, watched a lesson online, or explored the artwork featured on DW Designs, you know the vibe. The new branding simply makes that energy visible everywhere from the YouTube channel to the blog, and across the socials under Mr. DW’s Art Room and Art with DW.

What Hasn’t Changed

Let’s be clear.

The logo changed.
The mission did NOT.

Mr. DW’s Art Room is still committed to:

Encouraging creative risk-taking

Building artistic confidence

Celebrating student voice
Making art accessible, exciting, and meaningful

The rebrand doesn’t change who I am, it reflects who I’ve already become. Whether it’s in the classroom, on DW Designs as an artist, or across social platforms, that mission stays at the heart of everything.

🚀 What’s Next?

You’ll start seeing the updated logo and branding across:

YouTube channel

Social media profiles

Classroom materials

Digital resources

The DW Designs website and related blogs

This is just the beginning. New projects, new videos, and even more creative adventures are on the way.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’re a student, parent, fellow educator, or art enthusiast — you’re part of what makes this art room special.

Let’s keep creating. 🎨🔥

Mr. DW

Wow, last time I posted was in my first month teaching art at Sunrise. Seven years later and a few months, covid, birth of my son and some unexpected circumstances I left Sunrise to pursue other passions and opportunities. It’s been weird not teaching this school year but working for Trugreen, soon working as a Stagehand for Cheyenne Civic Center, and spending time with my 2 year old son has been a needed change. Even though I enjoying this new change, I’m not going to leave Art education and art all together. The last month, I started making new Strappo printings, filming me making them, and posting on social media. I also have been working on a new website for my art and my business of being an artist which will have art and art education Component to it as well. I am still a board member of WYAEA and will still do things for them in the future. I don’t know what the future will be but I know I am the one who will make it. I hope I can post many updates as I go down this creative journey on here and on YouTube.

Thank you, David

Last time I posted I said I excepted a new job teaching at Sunrise Elementary School in Cheyenne, WY and I have new regrets month in a new year! I am much happy and more welcome then before and it is wonderful to stay at on school are week.   I will keep you update of my new journey at Sunrise.

What will be your first day project with students? Well Mr. E decided to have the kids paint.  He is brave  but I think I might do it too. Click on the link to read about Mr. E’s First day painting project!

http://www.artwithmre.com/2015/08/first-day-project-painting.html?m=1

If you heard of Cheyenne, WY  you probably heard of Cheyenne Frontier Days the Daddy of them All. A big western celebration in the country and as locals say our second Christmas but you probably haven’t heard of the Laramie Country Fair that happens a week later at the same place.  Well it more for the locals but I get an opportunity to judge students art from the Cheyenne Elementary schools.  I was amazed  of the quality work the kids did and if I enter some of my former student work  in the fair comparable. Anyway I let you decide

It is August  and many of you are back to school either teaching or getting ready for the first day with student but if you are like me this is the last full week of summer break.  Get those summer projects done the you start in June, started to plan that first unit, and getting  the art room ready for students. At the same time wondering where did the time go by.  We know a fun relaxing  summer break most end and get ready to get back to what we love to do. Inspire the love of learning  and creative to the next generation.

I’m excited to start inspiring a new crop of kids  and geyt my next 10 years of teaching off to a good start. I see my Sunrise  and the adventure  begain.

What are you excited  about  this  come school year?

The last ten years I’m been teaching in a small rural school district in Wyoming east of the state capital city Cheyenne, WY. Where I been the only K-6 Art teacher for 4 Elementary schools which it been a amazing and challenging experience. Well I enjoyed my time at Laramie 2 and very thankful for the opportunities and great memories I had during the 10 years as The LCSD#2 District Elementary Art Teacher but there are times when you feel it is time to move on and start a new adventure. As many you know that new adventure will start at the end of August where I will be teaching art at Sunrise Elementary School in Cheyenne. I am excited of my new journey in my careere but I will miss the students and the great staffs at AES, BES, CES, and PBES. Thank you Laramie 2 Community for allowing me be apart of your great Community….