LSU Museum of Art's Callie Smith Receives 2026 Louisiana Art Education Association Museum Art Educator Award
BATON ROUGE, LA — Callie Smith, Ph.D., Curator of Education and Public Programs at the LSU Museum of Art, has been named the 2026 Louisiana Art Education Association (LAEA) Museum Art Educator Award recipient. This honor recognizes excellence in art education, leadership, and service, advancing visual arts education statewide.
"It's an honor to be recognized by fellow educators and arts advocates across Louisiana. Museum education is all about community—the students, artists, partners, and visitors who give this work meaning." Smith said.
Since joining the LSU Museum of Art in 2024, Smith has expanded the museum's educational impact through innovative programs, meaningful partnerships, and collaborations across LSU and the Baton Rouge community.
Student leadership and professional development sit at the center of Smith's work. She founded Tigers in the Galleries, a student worker program serving the museum through tours, programs, and outreach. The program is unique in drawing students from a range of disciplines, including psychology, art history, and coastal environmental science.
"Callie's leadership sets a powerful example of what it means to lead with intention and empathy, which I will carry with me throughout my personal and professional career," said Gianna Vanesko, a 2027 LSU Psychology major and LSU Museum of Art education assistant.
Smith has also built partnerships that reflect her department's focus on interdisciplinary learning and community wellbeing. Her collaboration with the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine gave rise to Art Break, a monthly program that has since expanded into a broader initiative reaching audiences across the university and community. The program recently earned a $25,000 Learning and Engagement Grant from Art Bridges to support that growth. Smith has also strengthened ties with the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System and established new partnerships with Hospice of Baton Rouge and Baton Rouge General Hospital.
Smith's leadership has drawn national recognition. In 2025, she was selected as one of a small group of educators nationwide to participate in the High Museum of Art's Museum Institute for Teaching with Art in Atlanta, Georgia, and she returned to the High in March 2026 as a guest speaker for its National Convening on Art and Social Connection.
Looking ahead, Smith is piloting Tiger Chill Night this fall, a new LSU student night at the museum, and is working to expand free arts experiences in the community through monthly Art Breaks — both at the museum and out in the community.
Smith will be recognized at the Louisiana Art Education Association Fall Conference in November 2026, the National Art Education Association's 2027 National Convention in New York, and Louisiana's annual Artist at the Capitol Day in Baton Rouge next spring.
The LSU Museum of Art congratulates Callie Smith on this honor and thanks her for her leadership, creativity, and dedication to the museum's educational mission and community engagement. Geaux Callie!
For more information about educational programs at the LSU Museum of Art, visit lsumoa.org.