Tahoma Elementary School art instructor Bronwyn Brestle has been named a recipient of Artsonia’s 2026 Art Education Leadership Award. The award celebrates pioneers in art education who continually inspire their peers, engage students, and promote creativity in the classroom through their online gallery on Artsonia.com.
Selected from thousands of instructors nationwide, Brestle is one of just 10 national winners of this year’s award.
“To be honored in this way is extremely meaningful,” Brestle said. “At the same time, it makes me think about all the people and communities that have shaped my work. This recognition belongs to them too.”
Brestle has been teaching art for over 25 years, drawing daily inspiration from her surroundings and the people she works with.
“I am constantly inspired by my students, my colleagues, and the gorgeous state of Washington. So much of what I teach is based on the beauty of the Pacific Northwest,” Brestle said.
Brestle is among thousands of art teachers worldwide who use Artsonia to digitally showcase student art, organize and plan art lessons, and fundraise for their classrooms. Artsonia enables family and friends of student artists to view their art online and create custom keepsakes from the student artwork, while donating 20% of the proceeds back to local art programs.
“Artsonia has taken the idea of sharing artwork to bring joy to others and made it a reality. My students find immense pride in the comments they receive from their families and friends from all over the world,” Brestle said.
Artsonia’s 2026 Art Education Leadership Award serves to honor the passionate, dedicated instructors who teach their students to create and value art, produce innovative lessons, and continually motivate their peers on Artsonia.
“Artsonia strives to offer art educators a platform to inspire one another,” said Jim Meyers, CEO and co-founder of Artsonia. “We could not thrive without the dedication and creativity of teachers like Bronwyn, who use their online gallery and lesson plans to motivate others. This award is our way of honoring those who help children develop their creativity and love for art.”
For more information, visit artsonia.com.
About Artsonia
Artsonia is the leading online platform for student art portfolios, featuring more than 125 million works of art from students in over 100 countries. The platform helps teachers showcase student art digitally, organize lessons, and fundraise for their classrooms. Families can view student art, leave comments, and order custom keepsakes featuring the artwork. Since 2000, Artsonia has donated more than $17 million to school art programs through its 20% giveback program.
To learn more, visit artsonia.com.
