Beth Mary Dobberstein

Education

• PhD, Urban Education - Curriculum and Instruction, UW-Milwaukee, 2025
• MFA, Art Education, University of Florida, 2012
• BFA, Art Education, UW-Oshkosh, 1995

Biography

Dr. Beth Dobberstein is an art educator, researcher, and advocate whose career spans more than two decades across K–12, higher education, and district‑level leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction and a minor in Administrative Leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where her scholarship centers on equity, representation, and culturally responsive curriculum design in elementary art education. Her dissertation, Cultivating Equity in Elementary Art Curricula Through Content Analysis, examines how art teachers select instructional resources and the extent to which Artists of Color are represented and portrayed within commonly used materials.

Dr. Dobberstein currently serves as an Instructor at the University of Wisconsin, where she teaches undergraduate courses in multicultural art education, visual learning, and elementary art methods, and supervises student teachers.

Before entering higher education, Dr. Dobberstein taught K–12 art for many years in both Wisconsin and Florida, serving diverse student populations and mentoring new teachers. She also held the role of Visual Arts District Administrator and K–12 Curriculum Specialist for Volusia County Schools, supporting 103 art educators across 72 schools. In this capacity, she led curriculum development, facilitated districtwide professional learning, built partnerships with museums, curated student exhibitions, and advanced equitable resource distribution. Her leadership extended to grant writing, arts advocacy, and the creation of interdisciplinary initiatives that connected visual arts with science, literacy, and community engagement.

Dr. Dobberstein’s research interests include culturally responsive pedagogy, equitable curriculum design, teacher resource selection, and the role of representation in shaping students’ artistic identities. She has contributed to national research efforts through the NAEA Public Policy and Arts Administration Interest Group and has conducted qualitative studies on relational learning, cultural heritage, and art education practices in Cuba and Cuban‑American communities. Her work has been presented at numerous state and national conferences, including the National Art Education Association, the Wisconsin Art Education Association, and the National Gallery of Art’s Teacher Institute.

An active scholar‑practitioner, Dr. Dobberstein has published peer‑reviewed research as well as practitioner‑focused articles in Art Education, School Arts Magazine, Art Times Magazine, and NAEA News. She also served on the Wisconsin State Standards Writing Team for Art and Design, contributing to the development of statewide standards and instructional resources.

Her professional service includes leadership roles at both state and national levels. She is a past President of the Wisconsin Art Education Association and previously served on the Executive Board of the NAEA Policy and Public Arts Administration Interest Group. Her work reflects a sustained commitment to empowering educators, advancing equity in art education, and fostering meaningful connections between schools, communities, and cultural institutions.

Curriculum Vitae, CV (PDF)

Recent & Selected Works

Articles & Selected Papers

• Harlow, T., Yang, Y., Ackermann, S., Dobberstein, B., Reeker, B., & Needles, T. (2023). Pandemic Pivoting: The Use of Home Wi-Fi Accounts and Fast-Food Parking Lots for Teachers’ Internet Connectivity. Art Education (Reston), 76(3), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2023.2167157
• Dobberstein, B (2025). Mentoring Pre-Service and Early Career Teachers. Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Fall, 2025)
• Dobberstein, B (2024). Cultivating a Culturally Responsive Curriculum. Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Spring, 2024).
• Dobberstein, B (2023). How to Conduct a Quality Art Assessment in the Art Room. Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Fall, 2023).
• Dobberstein, B. (2022). Emancipatory Leadership, NAEA News. October/November 2022.
• Dobberstein, B. (2022). The Dark Ages of Art Education, NAEA News. April/May 2022.
• Dobberstein, B. (2021). Deciphering Public Policy and Copyright Laws, NAEA News. September/October 2021.
• Dobberstein, B. (2021). Visual Thinking, Poetry and Gold, School Arts Magazine. School arts. (1935). Davis Press.
• Wisconsin Art and Design New State Standards (2019). Member of the Wisconsin State Standards for Art and Design Writing Team. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
• Dobberstein, B. (2021). Representing the Underrepresented in Your Art Curriculum, Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Spring, 2022).
• Dobberstein, B. (2021). Paintbrushes, Pencils and Pandemics, Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Spring, 2021), 6-7.
• Dobberstein, B. (2020). The Beauty of Art as Restorative Practice, Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Fall, 2020), 6-7.
• Dobberstein, B. (2020). Five Things You Need to Know About Public Policy and Art Education, NAEA News. September/October 2020.
• Dobberstein, B. (2020). In Your Face! Portraits and Public Policy, Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Spring), 5-6.
• Dobberstein, B. (2019). Art Education in a Rural Setting. Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Fall), 6-7.
• Dobberstein, B. (2019). Student-Centered Learning. Art Times Magazine. Wisconsin Art Education Association. (Spring), 6.

Theses & Dissertations

Dobberstein, B. (2025). Cultivating Equity in Elementary Art Curricula Through Content Analysis. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.