KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DAIN OLSEN (He/Him/His)
Dain Olsen is a national leader in arts education and a specialist in media arts education. He is currently Co-Chair of the Media Arts Committee and a member of the Governance Committee for the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. He is organizing and leading the National Media Arts Education Initiative to establish media arts across the U.S. He was also the Chair of the Media Arts Standards Writing Team for NCCAS, and served on the Media Arts Advisory Committees for California’s new Arts Standards and Framework. He led the development and establishment of media arts in LAUSD as a separate content discipline, including distinct standards, curricula, and courses. As part of this groundbreaking initiative, he administrated a demonstration program of 8 regional classrooms, resulting in research into media arts integrations with STEM subjects. In addition, Dain has developed and managed 7 other media arts programs, magnets, and CTE career pathways, while teaching a variety of media and visual arts courses. He has served as a consultant, advisor, and presenter for numerous states and organizations, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the College Board, and the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. Dain has also taught at Otis College, U.C.L.A and Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is an intermedia artist in video, sound, interactive tech, and multimedia theatre.