We have some exciting news to share about recent changes to leadership in the Department of Art Education. We are pleased to announce Dr. Sara Scott Shield’s well-deserved promotion to Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the College of Fine Arts at Florida State. Over the past 9 years Sara has been with us (more than 3 of those as Department Chair), she has consistently demonstrated unwavering support for those who have been fortunate enough to have worked alongside and learned from her. Her communication, organization, and time management skills have significantly bolstered departmental operations. More than that, however, Sara has a special combination of integrity and empathy, making her a unique part of our “art ed family,” as she would say. We are confident that she will bring the same level of excellence to her new role.

Messages from faculty & staff:

Sara carried the Department—with grace, humor, and warmth—through the disruption of COVID, and helped us emerge from that experience as a more caring, collaborative, and supportive team of faculty and students. Under her leadership, she fostered a sense of collective purpose that inspired our Department to find sustainable methods for a continual evolution and improvement. Her gift to the Department of Art Education was her belief that a department can be a forward-thinking space for rigor, excellence, and solidarity; she provided the tools we needed to meet this aspiration.

I am delighted for Sara, who, as a representative of the Art Education faculty, has taken on the role of Associate Dean for the College. Even though I’ve worked with Sara for a short time, I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to know her as a wonderful person and colleague. From the moment I was a job candidate for my current position, she consistently provided care, support, and transparency. I am eagerly anticipating the positive impact her leadership will have on the future of the College.

Sara is not only an extraordinary leader, but also led during extraordinary circumstances. She took on the role of Departmental Chair amidst the throes of a global pandemic, during social and political upheaval, and immediately after being tenured herself – leading the Department to new heights in that process through vision, wisdom, and a caring attitude for both students and faculty.

Sara has led our Department as Chair with gracious intelligence, clear vision, a collaborative spirit, and empathic compassion over the past several years. Her presence and leadership have helped us become a productive and loving family. I am not surprised that her stellar work and humanity has resulted in a promotion. We will miss her, but she leaves a strong legacy. I am so glad others will benefit from her wisdom and skill.

Sara’s warm welcome and encouraging mentorship made my entry into the Department as a newer faculty truly enriching. Her invaluable constructive feedback and confidence boosts were instrumental in my professional growth, and I deeply admire her organizational skills and dedication to fostering departmental growth. I am confident that she will excel in her new role.

Working with Sara was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my professional career. Sara stepped into her role as Chair at the height of the COVID pandemic, and to say she handled it with grace would be an understatement. She was and remains an incredible source of information, strength, and support to faculty, students, and staff alike.

 

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Now, we are delighted to say that Dr. Rachel Fendler has stepped into the role of Department Chair. Her responsibilities as Associate Chair have prepared her for this new management position, and we know we are in very capable hands under her leadership.

The past year has been a big year for publications from Florida State University’s Department of Art Education. Learn more about these new books and published research from our faculty and where you can read them below:

Arts Administration

Dr. Wen Guo, along with co-authors Jacqueline McLaughlin, Danielle Lake, Elizabeth Chen, McKenna Knock, and Steve Knotek, recently published an article, titled “Faculty Experiences and Motivations in Design Thinking Teaching and Learning,” in Frontiers in Education. This study explores the teaching of Design Thinking (DT) in higher education and its impact. Overall, the study highlights that faculty view DT as valuable for developing social innovation skills in students, offering insights for institutions interested in promoting DT in higher education.

Art Education

Dr. Sara Scott Shields and Dr. Rachel Fendler recently published a new book with Routledge, titled “Developing a Curriculum Model for Civically Engaged Art Education: Engaging Youth Through Artistic Research.” In this book, Shields and Fendler explore art as a means of inspiring youth civic engagement and draw on research conducted with young people in the U.S. to develop a unique curriculum model for civically engaged art education.

Likewise, Dr. Jeff Broome and Dr. Renee Sandell (George Mason University) recently published their book, “Real Lives Now: Narratives of Art Educators and 21st-Century Learning,” which showcases stories and day-to-day lives of contemporary art teachers who have a particular set of problems and opportunities within a particular locale, community, and educational environment.

Art Therapy

Dr. Parker-Bell celebrated the publication of her new book, co-authored with Dr. Debra Osborn, “Art Therapy and Career Counseling: Creative Strategies for Career Development Across the Lifespan” (Routledge). The book provides comprehensive overview of career development theories and practices and demonstrates how art therapy approaches can be effectively integrated with ethically informed career development strategies.

Dr. Nancy Gerber published her most recent book, “Imagination and Arts-Based Practices for Integration in Research” (Routledge). In it, Gerber explores the philosophical assumptions, defining concepts, and methodological issues related to the introduction of intentional imaginative mental processes and arts-based practices into some or all phases of investigation and data integration of particular research approaches.

Dr. David Gussak published his most recent book, “The Frenzied Dance of Art and Violence.” In it, Gussak provides a fresh perspective on the intricate relationship between art and violence by examining the psychological, sociological, and criminological dynamics at play. Gussak guides readers through the psychological analysis of violence’s role in the art-making process while also providing insights from his decades of professional experience in art therapy for the incarcerated.

Museum Education

Dr. Pat Villeneuve and Dr. Ann Rowson Love recently edited an exciting new book from Rowman & Littlefield, titled “Dimensions of Curation: Considering Competing Values for Intentional Exhibition Practices.” The book aims to assist curators worldwide in understanding their museum’s exhibitions and making deliberate choices for future curatorial work with practical examples provided for each aspect of the curatorial model.

Dr. Rowson Love also published a book with Dr. Deborah Randolph, “An Introductory Guide to Qualitative Research in Art Museums.” This book is a practice-based guide that is designed to introduce qualitative research to established and upcoming museum professionals and increase their confidence to conduct this type of research. Highlighting the work of researchers studying museums around the world, the book begins by explaining why there is a need for qualitative research in museums.

Finally, students enrolled in Visitor-Centered Exhibitions designed an exhibition, titled “Choose Your Own Adventure” that was displayed in the William Johnson Building Gallery during September. This exhibition highlighted the importance of children’s literature and featured titles from @fsulibraries Special Collections & Archives’ Marsha Gontarski Children’s Literature Collection.