Art Practice Commons^™

Fostering The Efficacious Adolescent Artist, Regina Beltowski

Masters Theses

Low self-esteem and insecurity is common among adolescents. In the secondary-school art room, students often stop engaging in art practice, believing that they lack talent, when the truth is that they lack specific skills. Students who are fortunate to have teachers who help them develop their skills experience a boost in feelings of self-efficacy, and often reengage with art production. This thesis project focuses on strengthening students’ self-efficacy in the visual arts at the secondary level. Clarifying the differences between related terms – self-esteem, self-concept, and perceived control – I focus on self-efficacy as a characteristic that plays a significant …

Scribblescholar Was Here: Confessional Notes Of A Vandal Academic, Clay Shields

Theses and Dissertations--English

As a (former) vandal-punk in the academy, I often fear succumbing to Ivory Tower Stockholm syndrome. The identities I perform, vandal-punk and scholar, ideologically clash to the point that they often feel irreconcilable. By codemeshing the high-low discourses associated with these adopted cultures, I attempt to disrupt any hierarchal privileging of either, instead searching for a way to live with and harness both.

Artist Practice In The Elementary Classroom: Redefining Art Teaching Through Artist-Teacher Philosophy, Ashley Smith

Art Education Theses

Presently, there is confusion about the definition, role, and pedagogy of artist-teachers and how their practice influences the way art is taught in a K-8 public school setting. In this paper, I present my motivations for pursuing this topic of research, provide a brief history of Western conceptions of artist-teacher, and describe pedagogical characteristics of artist-teachers along with an examination of the teaching environments they create.

I used Arts-based research to conduct a multi-site case study in which I first investigated my artist practice and then studied how I translated what I learned into the elementary art classroom. I completed …

Familial Dialects, Amanda King

MFA in Photography and Integrated Media Theses

Using the framework of scientific investigation, ‘Familial Dialects’ explores the languages – systems of signs and codification of those signs - of individual members of my family, and the metaphors that arise from their interaction with pieces of the natural world. Each of the pieces combine an inherent form and an organizing action as a means of representing an individual’s form of expression. These familial dialects are created and translated using the methodologies of a naturalist - collection, dissection, observation, and classification. The pieces draw meaning from the connotative associations built from familial connections as well as from broader cultural …

Labor, Vera Bauluz

CGU MFA Theses

I make sacred objects from scratch, from ready mades, from industrial materials, and sometimes from trash or recycling. I treat those objects with love and reverence to embed them with essence and soul. I propose conversations with objects exquisitely executed, that question our social order and the machine, easily understood by everybody, although still challenging our understanding of contemporary art.

The placement of the work and the lighting, as fundamental part of the installation, attempts to generate strokes of conscience that enhance human understanding and capabilities beyond a specific discourse.

Humor and sacred coexist in my installation and in my …

Into The Frightening Light: Emotional Healing Through The Creative Process, Bethany Dunfee Pierce

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores the role the creative process and art making can have in emotional healing and briefly describes connections among the affective skills of Creative Problem Solving and art making. Essentially a self-study taking place over five months, this project focuses on how the author, by developing mindful practice and behavior, used visual journaling, blogging, drawing and painting as methods of discovering her own creative process and how that process aided in emotional transformation leading toward greater self-actualization and artistic identity. This work provides key learnings that can help others in overcoming creative blocks, exploring creative process or in …

Learning To Retell Stories Through Comparative Teaching: Writing And Drawing, Rachel L. Lindle

Theses and Dissertations--Art and Visual Studies

Students who are emergent readers and writers are often difficult to assess, as they are unable to communicate understanding in writing. From my observations, these students communicate ideas best through concrete forms of expression, rather than the abstract formation of letters and writing that is unfamiliar to them. Drawing provides an alternate form of expression from writing. Based on information found in literature review and personal experiences from working with students who are emergent readers and writers, pictures and drawings are a bridge to communicate ideas with these students. This form of expression and communication may be a useful assessment …

Food Landscapes: A Case Study Of A Cooking And Art- Focused Program For Teens Living In A Food Desert, Jessica R. Norris

Theses and Dissertations

This study constructs themes and propositions about the experiences of youth participants in the fall 2013 Food Landscapes program at the Neighborhood Resource Center in Richmond, Virginia. During the program, youth participated in cooking-based volunteerism with adults with disabilities and created short videos about their experiences. In this study, I analyzed pre- and post-program participant interviews, twice-weekly program observations, and facilitator reflections to understand how Food Landscapes affected youths’ conception of community engagement and communication strategies. This case study offers insight into how youth experience after-school programming of this design. Based on my findings, youth develop and rely upon a …

Hip-Hop, Medellín And Social Change, Veronica Henao Posada

Master's Theses

This study explores the ways in which the Hip-hop movement is producing social change in Medellín, Colombia. Looking specifically at a Hip-hop school called Cuatro Elementos Skuela, which exists autonomously and with very little state support in the Medellín neighborhood of Aranjuez, I argue that young people are contributing to the reconstruction of the city’s social, cultural and economic fabric. I start by explaining the historical context of Medellín, describing the different sets of conflicts that unleashed high levels of violence and caused the fragmentation of the social, cultural and economic fabric. Moreover, I review the role of the …

Mining Our Heritage: Oral History And Place-Based Learning In The Adirondacks, Christine Campeau

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Cultural history museums and historic sites recognize the power of storytelling to engage and educate their visitors. Public schools ingrained in a standards-based curriculum often overlook the value of family stories and local history. The emerging discipline of place-based education offers a pedagogical approach that uses the local community as the focal point, providing a unique curriculum that extends beyond the traditional school walls. Oral history is a fundamental methodology for connecting students to regional history and culture, and is an ideal introduction to the broader theoretical perspective of place-based education. This research explores the concept of using oral history …

Imagining The Unknown, Angelina Kidd

MFA in Photography and Integrated Media Theses

It is true that there is no scientific proof of life after life or of the human soul. However, I believe there is a soul and that it is energy manifested as light. Our lifetime is a mere pulse when measured against the evolution of earth. We are connected to the cosmos through the very calcium in our bones and the iron in our blood, which originated from stars that died billions of years ago. My belief is that the earthly body is separate from the soul and that our light energy returns to the cosmos. Energy will not cease …

A Qualitative Study: Integrating Art And Science In The Environment, Deborah Naughton Mills

Wayne State University Dissertations

The study was used to develop an understanding of the nature of a creative learning experience that incorporated the foundational elements of Reggio Emilia, place-based education, and experience design. The study took place in an urban high school with eight students in an advanced placement art class. The qualitative research project revolved around the pollinator garden that the science teacher planted in the year prior to the study and the garden that was planted in the spring. Students were asked to create an art project that could withstand the Michigan climate. The science teacher lectured on elements of the pollinator …

Your Brain On Art: Art Therapy In A Museum Setting And Its Potential At The Rubin Musuem Of Art, Laura Sloan

Dissertations and Theses

Art therapy-based programs could open the doors of the museum to another population of visitors with disabilities, particularly those suffering from mental illness and in need of healing and wellness. The above statement serves as the core of this thesis with the ultimate goal to analyze and research the place of art therapy in a museum setting. Investigation of existing literature, interviews with professionals, and case studies, reveal the ways in which art therapy can be facilitated in a museum setting in order to better reach this population. Furthermore this thesis explores how collaboration between museum educators and art therapists …

Deliberate Use Of Creative Problem Solving In Art Making, Rebecca Dame-Seidler

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores the productivity of the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) tools in the visual art making process. The project offered the opportunity for high school student volunteer’s to participate in an after school program called Creative Art Group Experience (CAGE). Volunteers learned and made use of CPS tools to guide their art making. The project researched the effectiveness of using CPS tools in art making documenting volunteer progress and feedback. As an art educator, I had the opportunity to evaluate the impact of using CPS tools with the art-making process. The results of CAGE will benefit how CPS tools …

Freedom In Creation: Global Village Education Program, Daniel C. Maxwell

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper introduces the Freedom in Creation: Global Village Education Program, an international education program with a focus in service-learning for undergraduate students designed for the organization, Freedom in Creation (FIC). Global Village Education (GVE) will pilot the five-week intensive program in various locations throughout Uganda. As a short-term, service-learning program focusing on experiential education, social identity development, critical thinking, and reciprocity; the goal is to instill conceptual clarity and intellectual growth by introducing participants to new knowledge, concepts and experiences through cross-cultural interaction. The main purpose of the program seeks to build intercultural communication skills as well as …

Qualitative Research In Teaching Diversity In A Non-Diverse High School Setting Using Contemporary Art, Robin L. Reczek

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This qualitative action research study examined the effects of introducing diverse contemporary artworks into a non-diverse educational setting. For 3 months, 18 female high school students explored a range of artists, art styles, and artworks, in aid to discovering their own diverse qualities as well as the diversity of their classmates. Through participatory action research, I investigated how diverse contemporary artwork impacted student actions, discussions, and artworks. With the assistance of the transformative learning theory, I expected to convert students with non-accepting diversity views into unbiased young women. My research included data gathered from an assortment of alumni interviews, …

The Laboratory On 53rd Street : Victor D' Amico And The Museum Of Modern Art 1937-1969, Briley Rasmussen

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project addresses previously unexplored areas of Victor D'Amico's career as Director of the Education Department at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) from 1937-69, during which time he developed and implemented his philosophy on creative teaching that developed creativity, innovation and appreciation for modern art through a focus on individual aesthetic experience. Beginning with MoMA's early role and mission and the founding of the Education Project, the education programs as a laboratory for experimental art education are studied, specifically the Museum's television series Through the Enchanted Gate and the Children's Art Carnival as exemplars of D'Amico's experimental programming. This …

Cultural Hybridity And Visual Practice: Towards A Transformative-Repair Multicultural Pedagogy For Visual Arts Education, Kim Le

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project examines how transitional multiculturalism, cultural hybridity and transformative-repair are practiced by a professional artist-researcher and novice artists. Transitional multiculturalism and cultural hybridity are examined through a series of artworks by a Vietnamese-born artist-researcher. This series of artwork, which reflects 35 years of creating art in both Vietnamese and Australia, demonstrate a personal engagement with issues of cultural diversity, upbringing, and related aesthetic studies. The intention of this exhibition is to chart the characteristics of the artist's expression, which is culturally hybridised. This part of the study aims to identify those artistic conventions associated with specific visual traditions …

An Introduction To Black And White Lithography : Two Alternatives To The Stone, Carolyn Brookhart

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis describes two lithographic techniques that may be used to introduce black and white lithography to beginning art students. Aluminum plate and paper lithography are two relatively low cost and safe lithographic methods suitable for schools with limited budgets and limited space.

It is recommended that the instructor interested in teaching the two processes described in this thesis have some previous experience in lithography.

Group Painting As A Means Of Self-Expression And Communication For Mentally Retarded Persons: Three Case Histories, Yaeko Steidel

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents the results of a longitudinal study of a painting class for a group of mentally and physically handicapped young adults. The author's observational journal and the students' paintings provided the basis of the thesis.

The author gave maximum freedom to her students and the students fully exercised creativity through their painting activity. This experience brought a new identity to the group. The students evolved from a collection of separate people into a cohesive social unit.

The author tries to show, in this developmental process, how intellectual and emotional events and problems were met and solved by the …

Solid Casting In Aluminum And Concrete Using The Multiple-Piece Plaster Mold: A Method Of Introducing The Adolescent Student To The Indirect Method Of Sculpture, Donald Leroy Sandblast

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis deals with an investigation of the feasibility of using the multiple-piece plaster mold as a vehicle for teaching the indirect method of sculpture to the adolescent student. It is based upon the assumption that the students involved in the processes described will have had previous experience with the tools, techniques, and materials to be used. The investigation centered around the ability of the students to express themselves through the development of a sculptural form. The teacher's role was to assist the student identifying, expressing, and evaluating his individual goals against those goals established by the teacher. Instructional goals …

Acrylic Polymer Transparencies, Inez Allen Kendrick

Dissertations and Theses

Brief mentions by three writers on synthetic painting media first intrigued my interest in a' new technique of making transparent acrylic paintings on glass or plexiglas supports, some of which were said to I I simulate stained-glass windows. In writing this paper on acrylic polymer transparencies my problem was three-told: first. to determine whether any major recognized works of art have been produced by this, method; second, to experiment with the technique and materials in order to explore their possibilities for my own work; and third, to determine whether both materials and methods would be suitable for use in a …

Careers In Graphic Design, Joe Drovetto

All Master's Theses

This paper presents an illustrated brochure on careers in graphic design. The study includes the investigation of the number of possible professions in graphic design, definition of each specific profession, education and training necessary to qualify in each area, and a listing of further sources of information. The study also includes a series of creative visual illustrations to represent each area of graphic design.

A Study Of Pedro Delemos' Writings From 1919 To 1950 And A Comparison Of His Philosophy With Philosophies Of Other Outstanding Art Educators Of The Same Period, Raymond G. Safreno

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

It is the purpose of' this investigation to study critically the writings of Pedro deLemos in the field of art education from 1919 to 1950 inclusive; to compare his philosophy with that of other art educators of the same period.

To be more specific, the statement of this investigation is to study the following:

1. To determine the philosophy upon which Pedro deLemos built his theories and practices of art education.
2. To determine to what extent his philosophy of art education agreed or differed with the philosophies of other art educators.

The Role Of Art In The Complete Development Of A Christian Personality, Sister Loretta Ann Mccarthy

Art & Art History ETDs

A survey of ancient literature reveals that art as an area in school life is becoming increasingly recognized as tremendously significant to a complete participation in the creative activities of life. A critical point has been reached in so far as art has begun to be recognized as an integral part of the school program rather than an educational frill offered for those students who have difficulty with the academic program or as a concession to the few talented students.

It is the purpose of this study (1) to outline briefly the theory of art education as applied to the …