The Art of Education

What The Art of Education does

The Art of Education (AOE / AOEU) is a privately held, Iowa-headquartered education company founded in 2011 that serves K-12 art educators with a vertically integrated portfolio of curriculum, professional development, conference, and graduate-degree products. Its core products include FLEX Curriculum (standards-aligned K-12 art lessons and resources built for the art room), PRO Learning (on-demand professional development delivered via topic-specific PRO Packs), the annual Art Ed NOW virtual conference (self-described as the world's largest online conference for art educators), Art of Education University (100% online graduate programs for teachers), and a Community platform for resource sharing and connection. The technical foundation is a web- and app-based digital education platform (theartofeducation.edu, app.theartofeducation.edu) layered with a state alignment system that maps programs and resources to individual state professional development and certification requirements.

The company monetizes primarily through recurring subscriptions (FLEX for individuals and districts, PRO for individuals and districts), conference registration fees (live and on-demand access for a full year), and graduate-program tuition at AOEU. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve, product-led funnel for individual teachers via web and app, paired with a direct sales motion ("Talk with Our Team") targeting K-12 school districts for multi-teacher licensing, supplemented by Funding & Advocacy support for institutional buyers. Customer segments include K-12 art teachers, first-year art teachers, fine arts administrators, graduate students, and school districts, with named case-study evidence drawn from individual Curriculum Specialists rather than marquee enterprise logos.

Beyond its product suite, The Art of Education operates the Center for the Advancement of Art Education, a research and policy arm that publishes The State of Art Education Survey. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listings. All offerings are delivered 100% online, with operations centered at its Osage, Iowa headquarters and reach spanning the United States.

Name

The Art of Education

Legal name

The Art of Education

Website

https://theartofed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Art of Education is a privately held, Iowa-based education company that delivers standards-aligned K-12 art curriculum (FLEX), on-demand professional development (PRO), an annual virtual conference (Art Ed NOW), and online graduate degree programs (AOEU) to art teachers and school districts across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online K-12 Art Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Electives & Enrichment Curriculum (Arts, Music, PE, CTE Exploratories) (EDAGAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation) (EDAMAAAB), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Art & Design Teacher Education Colleges (Art Education, Music Education) (EDAHAJAJ), K–12 Instructional Video & Multimedia (EDAGALAA)

Keywords

• K-12 art curriculum
• Educator professional development
• Online graduate programs
• Virtual education conference
• District art education solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Osage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. FLEX Curriculum Subscription: Standards-aligned curriculum and lesson resources for K-12 art teachers, available through subscription model for individual teachers and district-wide deployments.
2. PRO Learning Subscriptions: On-demand professional development content and PRO Packs for art educators, accessible through subscription.
3. Art Ed NOW Conference: Annual virtual conference revenue from registration fees for live and on-demand access to art education sessions.
4. University Degree Programs: Graduate programs offered 100% online for teachers, generating tuition revenue.
5. District Solutions: District-level procurement of FLEX and PRO resources for multiple educators within school districts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Art of Education sells subscriptions to standards-aligned K-12 visual arts curriculum (FLEX) and on-demand professional development (PRO Learning), hosts a large annual virtual conference (Art Ed NOW), and delivers 100% online graduate degree programs for art teachers through AOEU. District-level packages bundle FLEX and PRO for multi-teacher school district procurement, supported by a community platform and a research arm (Center for the Advancement of Art Education).

Product overview

The Art of Education (AOEU) operates as a comprehensive platform-plus-modules architecture serving the art education sector. The core portfolio consists of five interconnected offerings: FLEX Curriculum provides standards-aligned visual arts lessons and resources for K-12 art teachers; PRO Learning delivers on-demand professional development through PRO Packs; Art Ed NOW Conference hosts the world's largest virtual art education conference; AOEU offers 100% online graduate programs for educator advancement; and Community provides a collaborative space for inspiration and connection. District Solutions packages these offerings for institutional clients, while the Center for the Advancement of Art Education drives research and innovation. The platform aligns programs with state requirements for professional development and career advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FLEX Curriculum: Standards-aligned curriculum and lessons built for the art room
• PRO Learning
• Art Ed NOW
• AOEU (Art of Education University)

Products and services

• FLEX Curriculum Standards-aligned lessons and resources built for the art room, providing K-12 visual arts teachers with comprehensive teaching materials, step-by-step procedures, and diverse representation support across grade levels.
• PRO Learning On-demand professional development that fits educator schedules and grows their teaching practice, offering PRO Packs with practical strategies for various art education topics such as teaching with clay.
• Art Ed NOW Conference Annual virtual conference for art educators offering live sessions, workshops, and on-demand access for a full year, positioned as the world's largest online conference for art teachers.
• Art of Education University (AOEU) Graduate programs for teachers delivered 100% online, including degrees and courses designed by practicing art educators for professional development and career advancement.
• District Solutions Comprehensive solutions for school districts bundling FLEX curriculum and PRO professional development with funding advocacy support and team collaboration features for fine arts administrators.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Outschool: Marketplace for live online enrichment classes (including art) for K-12 students, primarily consumer-funded. Touches AOEU's audience of art educators but monetizes through classes for kids rather than teacher subscriptions.

Direct peers

• BetterLesson: Online PD and coaching platform for K-12 teachers across subjects. Competes directly with AOEU's PRO Learning in teacher professional development, though BetterLesson is broader (all subjects) while AOEU is art-specialized.
• Teaching Channel: Video-based PD and coaching platform for K-12 teachers. Competes with PRO Learning in delivering on-demand professional development, with broader subject coverage but similar delivery format.
• Davis Publications (Davis Art): Long-standing K-12 art curriculum publisher offering textbooks, lesson plans, and digital art programs directly competitive with AOEU's FLEX Curriculum. Overlaps in standards-aligned visual arts content sold into school districts.

Emerging players

• Deep Space Sparkle: K-8 art lesson plans and PD resources for art teachers, sold via subscription. Closest like-for-like niche competitor to AOEU's FLEX Curriculum in the visual arts teacher segment.
• Art to Remember: Art education fundraising and curriculum programs for K-12 art teachers and parent organizations. Overlaps with AOEU in serving art teachers with classroom-ready resources and parent-facing programs.

Broad incumbents

• PBS LearningMedia: Free, standards-aligned digital media for K-12 classrooms including art content. Competes indirectly with AOEU's curriculum and PD products as a free alternative for art educators.
• Crayola (Education): Major art supply brand with an education division offering lesson plans, classroom resources, and grants for art teachers. Adjacent competitor to AOEU's curriculum offering, leveraging brand and physical product distribution.
• National Art Education Association (NAEA): The professional association for art educators offering PD, advocacy, publications, and an annual convention. Comparable to AOEU in serving the art teacher community but as a non-profit membership body rather than a SaaS provider.
• Western Governors University (WGU) Teachers College: Large, accredited online university offering affordable graduate and undergraduate programs for educators, including curriculum and instruction tracks. Most direct competitor to AOEU's AOEU graduate programs at materially larger scale and lower price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theartofed
• Facebookfacebook.com/theartofed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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