Governor's Message
 About the Governor's Awards

 Arts Administration
 Arts in Education
 Arts Patron
 Business Support of the Arts
 Community Development
    and Participation
 Individual Artist
 Individual Artist

 About the Artist
 Award Artwork

 About Arts Day
 Acknowledgements

 The Lima Senior High
    Spartanaires

 Event Sponsors
 Media Sponsors
 Table Sponsors
 Additional Support

 Award Selection Committee

Arts in Education

Michael Huffman, Lima City Schools, Lima

Nominated By: Council for the Arts of Greater Lima

Michael Huffman, recently retired director of arts curriculum and arts magnet programs in the Lima City Schools, is a living example of what one person can do during more than two decades to develop and sustain a model arts in education program within a community. He has served as an education advisor throughout the state of Ohio, and has been successful in his own artistic work as a practicing painter, writer and composer, demonstrating that his avocation and his vocation are one and the same. One of the model programs he has continuously refined in the schools is the Arts Magnet program, housed in two buildings in a system where all students are considered “at risk” because of the district’s low income demographics. These two magnet schools have successfully integrated the arts into the academic curriculum. This has produced measured results of higher than state average proficiency test scores in reading, writing, math, social studies and science. And Lima students are now demonstrating the effect of the “Arts Advantage” in imaginative thinking, problem-solving, goal-setting and teamwork, the qualities that 21st century workplaces require. Huffman’s exemplary leadership and creativity was recognized in 1991 when the President’s Council for the Arts and Humanities named Lima as one of the best 100 schools in the nation for its arts in education program. Huffman exemplifies what arts educators do best—connect with young people, advocate for arts in society and take personal responsibility for enhancing the quality of life in the communities in which they live.

Michael Huffman video tribute (5:37 minutes)