The Art of Education University

What The Art of Education University does

The Art of Education University (AOEU) is a private, for-profit online education company headquartered in Osage, Iowa, focused exclusively on K-12 visual arts education. The company delivers a portfolio of digital products to U.S. school districts and individual art teachers: the FLEX Curriculum platform (standards-aligned lesson library covering all 50 states plus National Core Arts Standards), the PRO Learning platform (200+ PRO Packs providing on-demand professional development hours and certificates), the Art Ed NOW annual virtual conference (15 PD hours plus year-long on-demand access), and the Curriculum Suite (a bundled FLEX + PRO district offering with bundled pricing, transferable teacher licenses, and assigned success management). AOEU also operates an accredited graduate university offering a Master of Arts in Art Education, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and 50+ graduate-level online courses, accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).

The business operates on a recurring subscription revenue model across four streams — district and individual Curriculum subscriptions, PD subscriptions, conference registration ($159 individual ticket), and graduate tuition — monetized via a hybrid go-to-market combining an enterprise district sales team (custom quotes, implementation support, success management) and a self-serve online channel for individual teachers (Single Teacher Edition). Marketing is dominated by content/community channels: a magazine/blog publishing 3–4x weekly, the weekly Art Ed Radio podcast (520+ episodes), YouTube, an active online community segmented by grade band, weekly email newsletters, daily social media presence, and the annual Art Ed NOW conference. Over 65% of AOEU's 51–100 employees are former K-12 art teachers, which the company emphasizes as a differentiator in content authenticity and educator empathy.

Scale to date includes 1,400+ partner districts, 39,000+ educators using the curriculum and PD, 12,000,000+ students impacted, and twelve sponsor partners for the 2026 conference (including Blick Art Materials, Wacom, Artsonia, Sculpey, Royal Brush, Amaco Brent, Gelli Arts, Chartpak, and Prang). Strategic emphasis is placed on vertical depth (art-specific content and PD), regulatory positioning (DEAC accreditation enabling licensure-relevant graduate coursework), and research credibility through the Center for the Advancement of Art Education (CAAE) and its State of Art Education Survey. No institutional investors, venture funding, acquisitions, or parent company relationships are disclosed; the company appears to be founder- and management-owned.

Name

The Art of Education University

Legal name

The Art of Education University

Website

https://theartofeducation.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Art of Education University is a private online education company that delivers standards-aligned K-12 visual arts curriculum (FLEX), professional development (PRO Learning), an annual virtual conference (Art Ed NOW), and DEAC-accredited graduate degree programs to U.S. art teachers and school districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Art Education Curriculum and Professional Development

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.) (EDAHALAG), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Electives & Enrichment Curriculum (Arts, Music, PE, CTE Exploratories) (EDAGAAAG)

Keywords

• K-12 art curriculum
• Teacher professional development
• Standards-aligned curriculum
• Online art education
• Graduate art degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Osage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Curriculum Subscriptions: Annual or multi-year subscription licensing for FLEX Curriculum to districts and individual teachers. Districts receive site licenses with transferable teacher accounts; individual teachers purchase single subscriptions.
2. Professional Development Subscriptions: Subscription access to PRO Learning platform with 200+ PRO Packs providing PD hours and certificates. Districts receive unlimited PD hours; individual teachers earn certificates per completed pack.
3. Conference Registration: Art Ed NOW conference registration fees for individual attendees and district-wide team access. Includes live event access, on-demand content, and year-long After Pass access.
4. Graduate Degree Programs: Online master's degree programs (Master of Arts in Art Education, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction) and graduate-level courses for educators seeking degree advancement or continuing education credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Art of Education University provides standards-aligned K-12 visual arts curriculum (FLEX Curriculum), an on-demand professional development platform for art teachers (PRO Learning with 200+ PRO Packs), an integrated Curriculum Suite bundling FLEX + PRO for districts, an annual Art Ed NOW virtual conference, and DEAC-accredited fully online graduate degree programs (Master of Arts in Art Education; Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction) for educators seeking advancement, licensure renewal, or continuing education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FLEX Curriculum: Visual arts curriculum for K-12 with thousands of standards-aligned lessons, resources, and videos
• PRO Learning
• Art Ed NOW
• Art of Education University
• Curriculum Suite
• Center for the Advancement of Art Education (CAAE)
• FLEX
• PRO

Products and services

• FLEX Curriculum Standards-aligned visual arts curriculum resource library for K-12 art educators featuring thousands of lessons, resources, artist biographies, videos, and assessments individually aligned to all 50 state standards and the National Core Arts Standards.
• PRO Learning On-demand art-specific professional development platform providing 200+ PRO Packs with relevant, personalized video tutorials and resources that grant districts unlimited PD hours and individual teachers certificates per completed pack.
• Curriculum Suite Integrated bundled offering combining FLEX Curriculum and PRO Learning for K-12 school districts, including ready-to-teach K-12 year-long instructional paths, PRO Insight embedded guidance, transferable teacher licenses, District Class Builder, free administrator license, administrator reports, virtual product training, and an assigned success manager for districts with 6+ sites.
• Art Ed NOW Conference Annual high-energy virtual conference for art teachers delivering live and on-demand professional development sessions, artmaking activities, and year-long access to recorded content ($159 individual registration; district team access available).
• AOEU Graduate Degree Programs Fully online, DEAC-accredited graduate programs including a Master of Arts in Art Education and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, plus 50+ graduate-level courses that meet licensure goals in states such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Massachusetts and are accepted for salary advancement and license renewal.
• Center for the Advancement of Art Education (CAAE) In-house research arm of AOE that produces evidence-based insights (including The State of Art Education Survey) and drives continuous innovation across FLEX, PRO Learning, and the Curriculum Suite.

Quantifiable outcome

• Standards-aligned for all 50 states and National Core Arts Standards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Blick Art MaterialsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Major sponsor of Art Ed NOW Summer 2026 conference. Provides grand prize and secondary prizes for sponsor giveaways. Blick is a leading art supplies retailer serving the education market.
• WacommajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW Summer 2026 conference. Wacom produces digital drawing tablets and creative pen displays used in art education.
• ArtsoniacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Artsonia is an online art gallery and student portfolio platform for schools.
• SculpeyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor providing prizes for Art Ed NOW conference giveaways. Sculpey produces polymer clay products for art education.
• Royal BrushminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Royal Brush manufactures art brushes and supplies for education markets.
• Amaco BrentminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Amaco Brent produces ceramic supplies and equipment for educational and professional use.
• Gelli ArtsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Gelli Arts produces Gelli printing plates for monoprint and art education.
• Art to RememberminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Art to Remember provides fundraising products featuring student artwork.
• MakedominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Makedo produces construction toy systems for creative building activities.
• QuellminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Quell produces creative technology products for art making.
• ChartpakminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Chartpak produces drafting supplies, markers, and visual communication products.
• PrangminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Art Ed NOW conference. Prang produces art supplies and classroom materials for education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Davis Publications: Long-standing publisher of K-12 visual arts curriculum, lesson plans, and textbooks. Directly comparable as a curriculum-content competitor serving the same art teacher buyer with standards-aligned materials.
• Artsonia: Online student art gallery and portfolio platform purpose-built for K-12 art teachers. Comparable target customer (art teachers) and overlapping ecosystem (sponsorship of Art Ed NOW); serves an adjacent workflow rather than curriculum.
• Crystal Productions: Publisher of K-12 art education videos, lesson plans, and resource kits. Closely comparable as a domain-specialist content provider targeting art teachers and district curriculum buyers.
• BetterLesson: K-12 professional development and curriculum platform serving teachers and districts. Comparable in GTM (district sales + individual PLG), subscription model, and PD/curriculum bundling, though broader across subjects.
• EducationCloset: Provider of arts-integration professional development and curriculum for K-12 educators. Directly comparable as a niche arts-focused PD and curriculum specialist competing for the same art teacher and arts-integration dollars.

Broad incumbents

• BrainPOP: Broad K-12 digital content and curriculum platform (owned by KIRKBI/LEGO). Comparable in subscription-based K-12 content distribution, though broader across subjects and not arts-specialized.
• Curriculum Associates (iReady): Major K-12 assessment and curriculum publisher selling directly to districts with custom-quote SaaS subscriptions. Comparable in enterprise district GTM motion and bundled curriculum/PD offerings, though centered on math/reading.
• Discovery Education: Large K-12 digital curriculum and streaming content provider selling to districts. Comparable in subscription content licensing, state-standards alignment, and district sales motion; broader portfolio than AOE's arts specialization.
• Crayola Education: Education arm of Crayola providing lesson plans, professional development, and classroom resources for art educators. Comparable as a branded arts-education content and supplies provider, though anchored in physical product.

Emerging players

• Learning Forward: Professional association focused on educator professional learning standards and PD. Comparable in targeting teacher PD budgets and standards-aligned professional development, though delivered as membership/association services rather than curriculum subscriptions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theartofed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwcvU-njRi1WvzVxnzYNTRQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/theartofed
• Instagraminstagram.com/theartofed
• TikToktiktok.com/@theartofed
• Pinterestpinterest.com/theartofeducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-art-of-ed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Art of Education University