Juliana (Pederson) Belmont Named Minnesota Elementary Art Educator of the Year | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Juliana (Pederson) Belmont Named Minnesota Elementary Art Educator of the Year

November 22, 2025
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Jules Belmont

Juliana (Pederson) Belmont ’16 has recently been named the Minnesota Elementary Art Educator of the Year by the Art Educators of Minnesota (AEM).

Belmont’s path to the classroom was unexpected. After years of working in arts and education roles—including teaching English through music, dance, and art while living in Ecuador—she realized that teaching the arts was where she felt most at home. After returning to Minnesota, she earned her teaching license and master’s degree, completing her student teaching at Oak Point and ultimately joining the school full time.

Belmont, who has been with Eden Prairie Schools since 2019, organizes Oak Point’s annual spring art show and is known for creating a classroom environment where students feel free to explore, make, and imagine. “I feel so honored to be recognized for this award. I truly have the best job in the world!” she said. “Getting to teach art means creating a space in the school where students can foster their creativity and imagination.”

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The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


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