From Innocence to Activism: An Abbreviated History of Perspectives in Art Education

• In Event: Disrupting Indurated Habits of Mind: Reframing the Arts in Education Research and Praxis

Abstract

Through a micro-historical study of a community arts education organization, I found that the guiding operating philosophy of the site relied on a narrative that positioned art education as innocent and neutral while also being inherently able to resolve historical division and social injustice. Using the work of art education and feminist scholars, the paper theoretically frames the findings and incorporates a review of recent literature in the field to demonstrate a shift from an air of innocence towards art education as a tool for activism. This shift is crucial to understanding the consequences of narratives that frame art education as they are adapted and implemented in broader cultural discourse.

Author

• Jody Stokes-Casey, University of Kentucky
  Presenting Author