The award was established in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Education. The council's arts education specialist Mary Billiter said the award promotes awareness and appreciation of the arts. "One of our goals is making arts fundamental to education, particularly in supporting our programs and our educators, and raising them and putting them in the focal point for the good work that they're doing," said Billiter. It also helps highlight educators' creativity and leadership in education, Billiter said. "The importance of art education is paramount to a full education for our students. And there are so many innovative practices our art educators are implementing right now that we really wanted to recognize,"she said.