Pictured are New Martinsville School art teachers Sonya Holliday, left, and Deborah Tustin, at right, displaying leadership citations they received for international recognition of their work in art education and the integration of technology into art education programs. At center of the photo, NMS Principal Fay Shank offers her congratulations on the awards from ArtSonia, the world’s largest online kids art museum. (Photo by Bill Abraham)

Two New Martinsville School teachers have been cited by ArtSonia, the world’s largest online kids art museum, for outstanding leadership in arts education.

Sonya Holliday and Deborah Tustin received the Leadership Award for going “beyond the classroom walls to encourage family and community involvement in arts education.”

The NMS online art gallery, www.artsonia.com/ schools/martinsville2, ranks number one in the state, according to the Gurnee, Ill.-based ArtSonia.

The Leadership Award also recognizes significant achievement in the area of technology integration within the school arts program.

While teachers in more than 100 countries showcase their student artwork on ArtSonia, the NMS gallery displayed 1,711 pieces of artwork, which has been visited more than 22,872 times.

“ArtSonia is a simple, yet effective, way to get parents and family members more involved in art education,” said Holliday, “and my students love it.”

In addition, family members can purchase keepsakes imprinted with a student’s artwork, with ArtSonia donating 15 percent of its annual product revenue back to the school art program.

ArtSonia is an online kid’s art museum that provides free educational resources for students, their families, and schools.

Founded in 2000, the group continues to integrate technology in the classroom, develop multi-cultural understanding through art, and increase family involvement in children’s education.