SANTA ROSA, CA (April 15) — Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (LBC) and Creative Sonoma yesterday named Heather Gobbée, Visual Arts Educator at Adele Harrison Middle School and Sonoma resident, as Sonoma County’s 2025 Arts Educator of the Year.

LBC and Creative Sonoma yesterday presented the award to Ms. Gobbée at the Arts Education Symposium, co-hosted by both organizations. As part of the award, Ms. Gobbée received a $500 honorarium and a $500 gift card to a local art store of her choosing.

In addition to teaching visual arts at Adele, Ms. Gobbée is a performer and puppeteer. She has served as a director and associate director at Backyard Kids Theater,  teaches adults with neurodivergences at De Colores Arts, and has a private practice as a Movement and Wellness Educator.

After earning her B.A. in education from Chico State and an M.F.A. in Acting from Brandeis University, Ms. Gobbée worked as a professional actor in New York City. Beginning in 2009, she taught drama at PS 372 The Children’s School for five years, while also creating and teaching the Creative Movement program for St Thomas More Play Group for 10 years. Following her move to Sonoma in 2019, she became a substitute teacher in Petaluma City Schools and the South County Consortium in 2020 and a full-time K-2 Moderate/Severe Special Education teacher at McDowell Elementary School in 2022 before moving to Adele in 2024.

A certified yoga therapist and yoga teacher, Ms. Gobbée has been teaching yoga to children and their families since 2007. She is a member of the Actors Equity Association, San Francisco Bay Area Puppet Guild, Puppeteers of America.

Sponsored by Daniels Chapel of the Roses, the Arts Educator of the Year Award honors professional arts educators working with the K-12 population – in particular, arts and classroom instructors who teach visual art, music, drama, dance, or multimedia arts. It recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of arts education over an extended period.

Honorable mention awards also were given to Cheryl Coldiron for leadership, Linus Lancaster as arts education champion, and Alyse Breece for mentorship. Each of them will receive a $100 honorarium in the form of a gift certificate for classroom supplies.

About Creative Sonoma

Creative Sonoma is a division of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board and is dedicated to supporting and advancing the creative community of Sonoma County. Please visit www.CreativeSonoma.org for more.

About Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts is home to world-class performances, nationally recognized education programs, contemporary visual art, and many popular events. The Arts Center is located in the heart of the Sonoma wine country and ranked among California’s top performing arts presenters. Together with its resident companies, the Center presents more than 230 performances in music, dance, theater, renowned speakers, and comedy; provides education programs serving more than 50,000 children and adults; and hosts more than 800 community events a year. Owned and operated by the Luther Burbank Memorial Foundation, the Center relies on charitable community donations to achieve its mission – to enrich, educate, and entertain. For more information, visit lutherburbankcenter.org.

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