Larry Marone Grant Awardee

Arianna Cropp

Biography: My graduate degree is in Art Therapy Counseling, and previous to my current position, I was providing art therapy services to kids for 12 years. My current role is at Bridges Middle School in Portland, Oregon - a private non-profit school for neurodivergent students.  My role is split between being the art teacher and one of four school counselors - a perfect mix of my passions - art and counseling!

Project Description: With this grant, I will purchase several adaptive pieces of equipment for cardboard construction, including a Chompsaw cardboard saw, electric scissors, and cordless glue guns. These tools will reduce safety and mobility concerns by minimizing the physical strength and fine motor demands required for cutting and assembling materials. At the same time, they will increase student independence, engagement, and creative risk-taking by allowing students to safely access and manipulate materials on their own, resulting in more inclusive and meaningful participation in the art-making process.

Larry Marone Grant Awardee

Sara Lucas-Dreiss

Sara is an Adapted Art Teacher and Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Specialist supporting students with complex disabilities. She teaches at Longview School in Montgomery County, Maryland, and consults nationally on adaptive fine arts, accessibility, and assistive technology. 

Let It Glow is an accessible, multisensory visual arts unit designed for students with complex support needs, including students with cortical visual impairment (CVI), motor challenges, and multiple disabilities. The project uses UV light, high-contrast materials, and adaptive tools to reduce visual and physical barriers while increasing student engagement, choice, and independence. Lessons are intentionally designed to support communication, sensory exploration, and authentic self-expression through art. The goal of Let It Glow is to create meaningful access to visual art experiences that honor how students see, move, and interact with the world.

• Increased student engagement and sustained attention during artmaking through high-contrast and illuminated materials 

• Expanded opportunities for student choice-making and expressive communication using AAC, eye gaze, and body language 

• Reusable adaptive tools and lesson structures that support long-term sustainability and alignment with IEP goals 

• Strengthened collaboration between art, related service providers, and classroom teams

NAEA, CEC, VSA, Peter J. Geisser ASE Educator of the Year

Sarah K. Swanson is a dedicated U.S.-based art educator and visual artist who has spent two decades enriching the lives of youth with disabilities. With 20 years of experience in special education, she blends her artistic passion with a commitment to fostering resilience in her students. Her research, which focuses on art education, disability inclusion, and building resilience, has been shared at professional conferences and published online. In recognition of her innovative work, she was awarded the 2021 Larry Marone Grant for Special Needs in Art Education and the 2025 PAEA Outstanding Special Needs Art Teacher award. Additionally, she is proud to have served as a Sculpey Teacher Ambassador, supporting art educators and enthusiasts nationwide. Academically, Sarah holds an MA in Art Education from Moore College of Art and Design and earned a BFA in Fine Arts from The New School’s Parsons School of Design. She resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she balances her professional life with raising her beautiful, culturally diverse, blended family.