Honoring Our 2025 Art Visionary Award Recipient: Betsy Halaby
Each year, Art in Action recognizes passionate community partners who have invested time, expertise, and resources to bring quality art education to young learners everywhere. The Art in Action Art Visionary Award was created to highlight a person or organization that exemplifies, supports, and promotes the important role that art and artists play in society and our everyday lives.
This year at our annual fundraiser, OBJECT:ART 2025, we presented the 2025 Art Visionary Award to Betsy Halaby. Betsy is a longtime champion of children's art education and a driving force behind the early success of Art in Action.
“Imagination Moves The Mind”: A Legacy of Art Advocacy and Community Impact
Starting in 1987, Betsy played a pivotal role in shaping Art in Action. In the early years, Art in Action’s marketing brand included the tagline, “Imagination Moves The Mind”. As Program Director, Betsy helped to establish a program that continues to inspire thousands of young artists today. Betsy worked alongside our founder, Judy Sleeth, to develop the visual arts curriculum, led the docent training program, and coordinated art shows at local libraries. Her dedication to arts and culture extends beyond our organization—she has been a steadfast advocate for creativity in schools and in the community, ensuring that every child has an opportunity to express themselves through art.
More recently, Betsy participated as an evaluator in our 2023-2024 Field Observation Study, conducting classroom observations of students participating in Art in Action lessons. Betsy continues to be a valued advisor supporting the development of new art activities such as the Youth Mental Wellness Spark Activities to be piloted in April 2025.
A Special Moment at OBJECT:ART 2025
One of the highlights of the evening was Art in Action founder Judy Sleeth presenting the award to Betsy. Judy reflected on the decades of their work together to build Art in Action. As Judy shared stories of Art in Action’s early days, she reflected on Betsy’s unwavering support and dedication to ensuring that every child has access to quality arts education. The moment was a heartfelt tribute to a lifelong advocate for creativity and learning. Betsy’s belief in the transformative power of creating art continues to inspire our team, and we are honored to celebrate her legacy.
Thank You for Celebrating With Us!
We are grateful to everyone who joined us at OBJECT:ART 2025 to celebrate Betsy Halaby and the power of art education. Your support helps us continue our mission of bringing quality arts programs to students everywhere.
