Jim Dodson named State Arts Teacher of the Year
Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts recognized Jim Dodson as its 2023 State Arts Teacher of the Year. Dodson, a 37-year art teacher at Jefferson Middle School and Oak Ridge’s mayor pro tem, was presented the award at the Frist Arts Museum in Nashville this summer. He is only the fourth visual arts educator in the state to receive the award since its inception in 2009.
Rodger Murray, visual arts faculty director of the Governor's School, made the presentation along with two Oak Ridge students who were selected to attend this year’s arts academy. Dodson has served as one of three jurors for the Governor's School for 35 years.
Among his many accolades, Dodson was named National Middle School Art Educator of the Year in 1999 and the Tennessee Art Educator of the Year in 1998 by the National Art Education Association. He also received the Tennessee Education Association’s Distinguished Educator Award. Dodson has been a frequent instructor and adjudicator at local, regional and national events, and he was the visual art coordinator for the Tennessee Arts Academy in Nashville for seven summers. As a board member of the Tennessee Arts Education Association, Dodson organized student exhibitions held in regional art museum in East, Middle and West Tennessee which have provided over $10 million in college scholarships during its 17-year history.
As an artist, Dodson has won awards at the Dogwood Arts Synergy: A Student & Art Educator Exhibit and was selected to show in the Dogwood Regional Art Exhibition. He won first place in the Connections Exhibit at Belmont University in Nashville. He has been commissioned to create art for Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Knox County Government and Disney World and he illustrated a book authored by a University of Tennessee professor.
Dodson has served on Oak Ridge City Council since 2016 and has been on the Planning Commission for several years, now as its vice-chair. His community work has been recognized with several local awards, including the Emory Valley Center’s Compassion Award, Children’s Museum’s Friend of the Child Award, ADFAC’s Bow Tie Recipient and the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
When asked about the most recent honor, Dodson said, “being an art teacher gives me the opportunity to provide my students with a tool to express themselves, be creative, as well as improve problem-solving and cooperative skills. And I have been blessed to be an art teacher in a community like Oak Ridge that has such a strong legacy of arts appreciation along with its scientific history.”
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Dodson named State Arts Teacher of the Year
