Matt & Laura Grundler

As creative collaborators and arts advocates, Laura and Matt Grundler strive to help connect the dots for educators by building a professional learning network infused with art. They understand the power of creativity to transform learning and work to empower educators to leverage this power. The Grundlers are art educators from Plano, Texas. They are also proud parents, bloggers, and founders of the popular Twitter Chat #K12ArtChat and “The Creativity Department” podcast (Now K12ArtChat the podcast). After teaching middle school art and high school art, Laura received an MA in Educational Leadership and worked as an assistant principal before moving into the role of district Visual Arts Coordinator. Matt started his career as a graphic designer. However, after finding the commercial side of design to be unsatisfying, he found his niche as a K–5 Art teacher. Today, Matt teaches middle school art.

Both Laura and Matt are passionate about raising their three creative kids, sharing their love of art education with their professional learning network and continuing to grow every day. Their work has been recognized by their school district, featured in the local press and honored by Texas Art Education Association, with the 2nd ever Lone Star Advocacy Award for their commitment to arts education. They have also been recognized by the National Arts Education Association with the Art and Technology Community Service Award. Laura and Matt have consulted with and written for the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, Scholastic Arts Magazine, and now Adobe Edu. They enjoy consulting and presenting about creativity, arts education, and STEAM both locally in Texas and throughout the United States.