The Charles Marshall Robertson Memorial Award is presented biennially in memory of Charles Marshall Robertson, Dean Emeritus of Pratt Institute, who served as President of The School Art League from 1965 through 1988. This award is granted to an exceptional artist or art educator who has made significant contributions to students in New York City public schools. The 2023 Charles Marshall Robertson Award, was presented to Maria Palma.

Maria Palma has dedicated her career in arts education to supporting arts teachers and school leaders in uplifting students’ voices. Serving as a teacher and arts administrator, including Deputy and Executive Director of the NYCDOE Office of Arts and Special projects, she has been committed to nurturing students to “think and work like artists” and nourishing teachers as artists and educators. It has been the great honor of her career to work with the incredible, creative team of professionals at OASP, passionate arts educators and school leaders, and collaborative arts and cultural partners in NYC to bring quality and equitable arts learning to NYC public school students citywide.

Collaborating with the team of OASP, she is proud of success in designing professional learning structures that are effective in large school systems, working across hundreds of K-12 schools and in every art discipline. She has effectively co-directed or served on the management team of multiple USDOE grants that have improved teaching and learning in the arts. She has worked on the roll out of professional learning for local Blueprint Standards for Teaching and Learning in the Arts, and the introduction of formative assessment strategies to deepen this work, and the formation of PLCs as a bedrock of professional learning for NYCDOE arts educators. Her work also has created alignment with larger system mandates to benefit arts learning and teachers across NYCDOE. Most recently, the NYCDOE model for PLCs and professional development has been showcased as part of a federal grant partnering with the four national professional organizations, the National Art Education Association (NAEA), the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), to leverage the power of Professional Learning Communities to transform teacher practice and impact student arts learning on a national scale.

Past Recipients of The Charles Marshall Robertson Memorial Award

2023………Maria Palma

2022………The One Club for Creativity
2018………. Carmen Fariña
2016……..…Milton Glaser
2014……..…Mary McCormick
2012……..…Franny Kent-Del Valle
2011……..….Caroline Payson
2010……..…Radiah Harper
2009……….Lowery Stokes Sims
2008……….Sharon Vatsky
2007……..…Randolph Williams
2006………. Karen Rosner
2005……..…Rika Burnham
2004……..…Shirley Taylor
2003……..…Joan D. Firestone
2002……..…Tom Cahill
2001……..….Grace George Alexander
2000……..…Martin E. Segal
1999……..….Andrew Buck, Clement Ceccarelli, Douglas Eisman, Ellen Kirshbaum, Ed Morgano, Stan Nussbaum, Nancy Shankman, Leonard Trerotola
1998……..….Dr. Sharon Dunn
1997……..…..Madeline Abel, Joseph Hijuelos, Roberta Newman, Douglas Potter, Esther Quiles, Alexandra Zevin
1996……..….Robert B. Durkin
1995……..….Muriel Silberstein-Storfer
1994……..….Madeleine Appel, Laurel Danowitz, Naomi Lonergan, Toby Needler
1993……..….Dr. Judith Burton
1992……..….Amy Brook Snider
1991……..…..Diana Cagle
1989……..….Patricia Seabrook Black
1988……..….Samuel Kostman