By Joshua Koch
Public Communications
Julie Gallow vividly remembers, at the earliest age of five, crawling up on her father Vince Semary’s lap watching him illustrate cartoon characters for her.
It was in these moments that Gallow’s interest in art was sparked. She was in awe of her father’s drawings and decided early on that she wanted to be an artist.
In November, at the annual Texas Art Educators Association (TAEA) Conference, Gallow, who is in her 17th year of teaching Art in Humble ISD, became the 98th person in the 68-year history of the TAEA to be inducted as a Distinguished Fellow – a lifetime achievement award.
“It’s beyond humbling,” Gallow said. “I can’t wrap my head around the fact that I am a part of this incredibly passionate, skilled, talented, wise group of people who I have been looking up to my entire career. That’s the pinnacle of your career in art, is being a Distinguished Fellow by your professional organization.”
A TAEA Distinguished Fellow is a member who has made significant, long-term, and distinguished contributions to the work of the association and to the advancement of the art education profession.
Gallow was nominated for the TAEA Distinguished Fellow by Stacia Gower, who was her Visual Art Administrator in Humble ISD when she began her career, and took her under her wing in her early years of teaching. Gower started the Humble ISD Fine Arts Festival, which Gallow has served as the co-chair of for the past 14 years.
“She mentored me and she helped me become the art teacher I’ve become today,” Gallow said about Gower, who draped her with her medal during her induction ceremony.
In July, Gallow was notified that she had been nominated and in September received the call from Dr. Tina Farrell that she would be inducted at the TAEA Annual Conference in November.
“It’s such an honor to be a part of this group now,” Gallow said. “Through the rest of my career and into retirement, I get to still be an active part of the Fellows that get to give back to art education.”
Stacia Gower (left) holds the hand of Julie Gallow (right) after draping the TAEA Distinguished Fellow medal on her during a ceremony in November. Photo submitted by Julie Gallow.
Gallow has been heavily involved in the TAEA since joining in 2008. Over her 17 years of being a part of the organization, Gallow has helped plan conferences, taught workshops and presented at conferences.
In 2022, Gallow was named the TAEA Outstanding Art Educator of the Year for Elementary.
In 2026, she will serve as the Lead Conference Chairperson for the organization’s annual conference to be held in Galveston. Gallow also currently serves as the Elementary Division Chair for TAEA.
“I’m very passionate about art education,” Gallow said. “I love keeping busy with all these things that promote art in schools.”
Growing up in Kingwood – attending Woodland Hills Elementary, Kingwood Middle School and graduating from Kingwood High School – Gallow always had art supplies around her house.
Her father was a professional watercolor artist and talented illustrator, who had his Masters Degree in Art from Morehead State University, where he had coached football.
Art was always part of her life.
“All my growing up here, I was surrounded by art,” Gallow, whose parents, Vince and Susan, went on to operate The Shadow Box Art Gallery in Kingwood, said. “Art was just who we were as a family.”
After a career as a graphic designer and professional muralist, Gallow followed in her father’s footsteps—who had taught art and founded the After School Art Program in Kingwood—and became an art teacher herself.
In her 17 years of teaching art in Humble ISD, Gallow has taught at Humble Elementary, North Belt Elementary and Foster Elementary.
“I just love teaching to children, because I remember the fascination that I had with art as a child and how fun it was to draw and paint and make things with my hands,” Gallow said. “I love facilitating that for children.”
For Foster Elementary and Woodland Hills Elementary, Gallow was the artist for both campuses' commemorative mural ornaments. Each featured the front of their campus. The Woodland Hills ornament was recently released as a part of the campus’s 50th anniversary celebration.
With Foster Elementary being rebuilt and without a home campus for the past year and a half, Gallow has travelled between Hidden Hollow, Shadow Forest, Deerwood, and Willow Creek Elementary Schools.
Every day, she continues to share her love for art with the students of Foster Elementary, just as her father did with her.
“As long as we have art supplies, we can make art together,” Gallow said with a smile.