The National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) Independent School Art Education (ISAE) interest group has named Joe Acone, Chair of the Arts & Design Department at The Derryfield School, as its Independent School Art Educator of the Year for 2025. The award honors art educators who demonstrate exceptional leadership and advocacy for the arts within independent school settings.
Acone was selected following a nomination by Becky Barsi, Art & Design faculty member at The Derryfield School and a recipient of the award in its inaugural year. In her nomination, Barsi highlighted Acone’s professionalism, innovation, and sustained commitment to both teaching and exhibition. The ISAE executive council cited these qualities as central to its decision.
The ISAE will formally recognize Acone at the NAEA National Conference in Chicago, including the ISAE business meeting on Friday, March 6, at 8:00 a.m., as well as a forthcoming joint interest group awards ceremony. ISAE Co-Presidents Cristina Pinton and Cynthia Hersch expressed enthusiasm about celebrating the honor in person and praised Acone’s “engagement and excellence in the field of art education.”
As Chair of Arts & Design at Derryfield, Acone has played a pivotal role in reimagining the school’s arts program through interdisciplinary collaboration. Under his leadership, visual arts, performing arts, and STEAM have been unified into a cohesive program that encourages creative cross-pollination. His curricular innovations—including courses such as Art of Worldbuilding and Prop Design—invite students to connect artistic practice with storytelling, design thinking, and technology. Colleagues credit him with inspiring faculty across disciplines to integrate creativity into their teaching.
Beyond the classroom, Acone has elevated the visibility of the arts within the school and broader community. He has curated dynamic exhibitions in Derryfield’s Lyceum Gallery, redesigned admissions events to showcase student creativity, and collaborated with the school’s equity and belonging initiatives to host exhibitions featuring newly arrived refugees. These efforts have helped position the arts as a central, community-building force.
Acone’s influence also extends nationally. He has presented at recent NAEA conferences in San Antonio and Louisville and co-hosts the Creative Guts podcast, which amplifies the voices of artists and creative professionals. As a practicing artist, Acone continues to exhibit his work, including participation in the New Hampshire Art Association’s Biennial 2 and numerous solo and group exhibitions, modeling lifelong creative practice for his students.
Students and families consistently describe Acone’s classes as joyful, inclusive spaces that foster confidence, critical thinking, and a strong sense of identity as artists. His mentorship has empowered students to engage with personal and social narratives in their work and to take on leadership roles, including founding Derryfield’s chapter of the National Art Honor Society.
In recognizing Joe Acone with the 2025 Independent School Art Educator of the Year Award, NAEA’s ISAE interest group celebrates an educator whose leadership, creativity, and generosity continue to shape students, colleagues, and the wider field of art education.
