This research was designed, via auto-photo elicitation, to discover what a democratic school is, specifically Grassroots Free School in Tallahassee, FL. Questions concerning how free school pedagogy is implemented and how students of a non-compulsory school make sense of their experiences at school are addressed in this study. In this case, 14 students and 4 staff members were given disposable cameras to reflect upon their experiences at the Grassroots Free School in Tallahassee, FL. As the reader engages this non-traditional topic, this study exposes and illuminates the philosophy of free school education, as well as informs how this method of education performs in practice. The information presented in this presentation unlocked the consciousness of the reader, opening to them the advantages and disadvantages of the free school philosophy. The data brought to me by the students and staff at Grassroots Free School told their story. Ultimately, this study revealed in the case of Grassroots Free School: What a democratic/free school was and how the educational philosophies were implemented via photography. Participants had to articulate their findings and attempt to translate the subjects found in the photos to me. This process helped the students and the researcher to arrive at conscious conclusions on the subject of what it means to be a student under a free school umbrella. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / October 12, 2011. / Art Education, Art for Life, Auto-Photo Elicitation, Democratic School, Free School, Photography / Includes bibliographical references. / David Gussak, Professor Directing Dissertation; Barry Faulk, University Representative; Tom Anderson, Committee Member; Anniina Suominen Guyas, Committee Member.

Using a single subject research design, two university students, one with Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia (PDA) and one with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), received seven individual, one-hour sessions incorporating art therapy components into a model of brief cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and panic. Sessions in the GAD case were conducted through Internet video chats. Foci of therapy included: psychoeducation, identification and development of support systems, breathing retraining, cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure, in vivo exposure, and relapse prevention. Outcomes on symptoms of both disorders were measured using daily self-report ratings completed by both participants. Panic frequency and some features of fear of fear (panic expectancy and expected aversiveness) and agoraphobia (amount of avoidance) were significantly reduced in Case 1 with PDA. Reductions in other measures of fear of fear (maximum fear of panic) and agoraphobia (agoraphobic anxiety) were marginally significant in Case 1 as was reduction in general anxiety in Case 2 with GAD. There was no significant change in general anxiety in Case 1 or general feelings of goodness in either case. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2013. / June 20, 2013. / cognitive behavioral art therapy, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder / Includes bibliographical references. / Marcia Rosal, Professor Directing Thesis; David Gussak, Committee Member; Tom Anderson, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT Long standing tensions between formalism and instrumentalism are affecting the criteria through which scholars approach analysis of western arts and letters. This problem houses many others, most relevantly, the troubled state of art education and art history. One group of art historians and aestheticians has tackled problems in art history by suggesting westerners reconnect with their ancient Feminine, arguing their dialogue with her has become distorted due to confused applications of myth and metaphor. I think they are onto something, but are not considering that ancient myth and metaphor defined Feminine agrarian science, administrators of Hesiodic tradition who defined and used it, and complicated processes which usually involved some form of ritual prayer. To reunite these elements of the Feminine, I studied Mattias Grunewald's 15th century northern Renaissance plague shrine, the Isenheim Altarpiece, to understand what this masterpiece means and why scholars from a number of fields cannot reach any clear consensus on how to interpret it. I analyzed its muddled applications of Feminine myth and metaphor; and compared the views of major contemporary historians who have contributed to the present state of its analysis. This required four efforts: 1) redefinition of formalist and instrumentalist viewpoint, based upon my idea that they represent two versions of the same system running at different rates of speed, formalism being in front of instrumentalism; 2) documentation of problems art historians have had with illustrations of medical ritual practitioners and their complicated processes; 3) construction of a working definition of the ancient Feminine, because scholars do not have one; and 4) documentation of what have been referred to in this dissertation as 'scholarly misunderstandings,' to search out a common denominator behind the various troubles in question. In doing so, I learned that more scholarly concern should be shown for Mary's function in this shrine. She is probably more than--at least as important as Christ. However, westerners have forgotten how to align her with ancient Feminine viewpoint and in the process, lost sight of how to interpret images like this shrine. Isenheim findings remain inconclusive for two reasons. One, scholars regularly interpret aspects of its Feminine elements literally instead of metaphorically. Worse, they have objectified and accordingly literalized the function of her related practitioners and their metaphorically defined esoteric ritual processes, if they study them at all. Two, the shrine has been studied from many perspectives, but not all inclusively and relationally by any one scholar. Various interpretations of Feminine reality evolved over hundreds of years, and all were in one way or another connected because each presented a dimension of her that was contextually unique. Grunewald knew this and related accordingly, but modern scholars do not. They study her compartmentally--inadvertently refashioning the agrarian material she represents into a formally abstract and theoretical product reflected upon from perspectives like religion and philosophy. Based on the above examination, I conclude that the Feminine is a tool not a product. Only when she is analyzed as a composite do key questions begin to surface regarding how and why a category of real people who used to be aligned with Feminine tradition and its complicated ritual processes have become muddled beyond comprehension. This dissertation will show through analysis of Grunewald's Isenheim that westerners have more problems with these figures'most relevantly Mary, Mother of Jesus--than they do with any abstract system defining the ancient Feminine. This group--not some theory--is what the west is now, and has been, afraid of for a very long time. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2010. / April 28, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references. / Thomas Anderson, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Svetla Slaveva-Griffin, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Ralph Berry, University Representative; David Gussak, Committee Member.

The study presented a series of experiential art therapy based workshops to foster empathy for individuals with disabilities in preservice art educators. Using a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental research design, participants engaged in humanistic, active art therapy directives related to the disabled experience as they are integrated into a two session, four hour, class time frame. Discussion focused on empathetic responses as well as possible adaptations to art materials after each workshop. It was hypothesized that these experiences would increase participants' levels of empathy, as measured by the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Scale, and decrease discomfort level with disabled populations, as measured by the Interactions with Disabled Persons (IDP) Scale (Gething, 1994, n.d.; Gething et al., 1997; Lawrence, Shaw, Baker, Baron-Cohen & David, 2004). Thus, an inverse relationship was predicted between the participants' empathy and discomfort level with disabled populations. Additional anecdotal data was gathered using responses to an art therapy directive and feedback questionnaires. While the quantitative data did not support the initial hypotheses, an inverse relationship was found between participant EQ and IDP scores. Anecdotal data also supported the hypotheses and demonstrated change in participants' perceptions toward individuals with disabilities. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2013. / June 20, 2013. / art education, art therapy, disabilities, disability, disabled, empathy / Includes bibliographical references. / Marcia Rosal, Professor Directing Thesis; David Gussak, Committee Chair; Jeffrey Broome, Committee Chair.

Volunteers are among the most important assets of an arts organization. As trends in volunteerism are based on societal changes, the number of episodic volunteers, that is, volunteers who prefer a flexible and sporadic volunteer schedule, has increased. The research question driving this study concerned the motivating factors that lead episodic volunteers to initiate and continue their contribution of time and effort to arts organizations. In order to address this question a number of variables were measured, including volunteers' demographic characteristics, functional motivation for volunteering, and functional outcomes from volunteering. Using the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) developed by Clary et al. (1998), data from 137 respondents were collected through an online survey managed through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (www.MTurk.com) and SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 version and several statistical techniques, including descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. Relationships between functional volunteer motivations were examined, as well as between outcomes, satisfaction, and long-term intentions. Based on functional motivation and outcomes, predictions about continued volunteering were made. Among the six motivation functions, the understanding, enhancement, and values functions were the most popular reasons for volunteering, and frequent outcomes among the participants within almost every variable group. In addition, these three functions were significantly related to volunteer satisfaction levels as well as long-term intentions. However, the other three social, career, and protective functions also occurred within some variable groups. The participants' satisfaction level was the greatest predictor of the will to keep volunteering in arts organizations. These findings have practical applications for arts organizations in helping to manage or recruit volunteers. On a heuristic level, this study serves as a starting point for more research on volunteerism in arts organizations. A detailed discussion of the findings, as well as conclusions, implications, and recommendations for future research are included. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2012. / September 13, 2012. / Arts Organizations, continue to volunteer, Episodic Volunteer, Functional Motivation, Motivate, VFI / Includes bibliographical references. / Pat Villeneuve, Professor Directing Dissertation; Valerie Shute, University Representative; Tom Anderson, Committee Member; Dave Gussak, Committee Member.

Community cultural planning involves a public-private process intended to promote arts and culture for economic and social development purposes. Today, the increased importance of creative industries and tourism has led many U.S. cities and regions to employ an analytical and cooperative process in creating distinctive cultural development plans. Artists can play a vital role in such cultural planning, from collaboration with non-artist groups, such as policymakers, arts administrators, and the general public, to implementation. In fact, many scholars have strongly encouraged artists' participation and maturation in the cultural policy community in order to create an effective cultural policy system. However, some important issues related to the participation of artists in the cultural policy arena have been marginalized, ignored, and infrequently studied. Based on interviews, survey and document analysis, this study explored artists' perceptions and experiences in order to evaluate the role they filled in a particular cultural planning process in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the United States. The analysis of the data revealed insights related to the relationship between the artists' perceptions and satisfactions with the plan, changes in the artists' ideas and knowledge base as a result of their participation in planning process, and the artists' ideas about how they benefitted from participating in the process. The purpose of this paper is to give voice to the perspectives of artists involved in cultural planning, particularly in regard to their role and participation in the planning process, and to provide knowledge that may inform the work of stakeholders involved in future cultural planning and cultural policymakers. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2013. / March 19, 2013. / Artist, Arts administration, Cultural planning, Cultural policy, Local art agency, Public art / Includes bibliographical references. / David Gussak, Professor Directing Dissertation; Rebecca Miles, University Representative; Pat Villeneuve, Committee Member; Tom Anderson, Committee Member.

This study presents the experiences and critical perspectives of a small, racially diverse group of veteran arts educators in urban schools in order to counter deficit-based fears and stereotypes about their students, schools, and communities. Participants' stories were explored, articulated, and communicated by them in researcher-facilitated discussions during five focus group meetings and their own independent creative inquiries through artmaking and reflective writing, which were discussed in the focus group sessions. This study is grounded in a participatory paradigm and informed by critical race theory as a framework for understanding the context and conditions of urban schooling, particularly in low-income communities of color. It employed a participatory, arts-based methodology (based largely on the framework of a/r/tography) to draw on the deep connectedness of committed, veteran arts educators in urban public schools. Participants' experiences and critical perspectives were framed as "counter-narratives" in order to challenge deficit-based characterizations of their students, schools, and surrounding communities. This study was conducted in a small city of approximately 182,000 residents in the Southeastern United States. Some readers may question the use of the term "urban" to describe such a small city. Based on a review of literature however, the term "urban schools" came closest to describing both the high concentrations of poverty and high proportions of students of color in the schools that are the focus of this study. While the image of the urban concrete jungle may not exactly capture the character of this relatively small city, this study's setting makes the important point that poverty and racial inequity affect a much wider variety of communities than may be immediately connoted by the term "urban." Because participants' stories, as represented by them, were so crucial to this study, it was important to locate participants with strong studio art backgrounds and/or current practices who were familiar and comfortable with artmaking as a mode of inquiry. In order to recruit enough participants in the small city where this study was conducted, the definition of "arts educators" was expanded to include educators who currently or in their professional histories use(d) substantial and meaningful visual arts-based pedagogical approaches in their classrooms. Five interrelated research questions guided this study: (1) In what ways do the experiences and critical perspectives of veteran arts educators in urban schools "counter" deficit-based characterizations of their students, schools, and communities? (2) How do participating arts educators communicate their experiences of multiple and intersecting identities in the context of their practices, and reveal them in their creative counter-narratives? (3) In what ways does their engagement in this process of inquiry alter participants' perceptions and understandings of their students, schools, communities, and selves? (4) What roles do the participating educators and I take on in relation to one another in the context of this participatory process of inquiry, and how do we negotiate these relationships? (5) How does artistic practice inform this study as a method of inquiry, and suggest possibilities for communicating participants' counter-stories? The most substantial counter-narratives that emerged in this study focused on the relationships between high-stakes school accountability measures, perceptions of school and teacher quality, and re-segregation of neighborhoods and public schools. Participants framed the supposed failure of urban public schools as a systemic problem that reflected pervasive social inequities rather than simply a failure of individual teachers and schools to meet accountability goals. Participants also described the ways high-stakes accountability became a self-fulfilling prophecy that restricted the breadth and richness of educational programming in urban schools. Finally, the participants' experiences and critical perspectives challenged deficit-based characterizations of urban teachers in public discourse about school quality, accountability and teacher effectiveness. Artistic practices, particularly creating artwork, collaboratively viewing and discussing artwork, and analyzing artwork in a variety of ways, contributed significantly to this study's participatory methodology. Specifically, the use of artistic practices facilitated the processes of establishing rapport among the researcher and participants, developing a shared language of mutual interest, facilitating difficult conversations, and connecting to community. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer 2013. / April 11, 2013. / A/r/tography, Arts-Based Research, Critical Race Theory, Participatory Research, Urban Education, Veteran Teachers / Includes bibliographical references. / Anniina Suominen Guyas, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kathleen Yancey, University Representative; Tom Anderson, Committee Member; David Gussak, Committee Member.

This dissertation study examines the growing art museum practice of using exhibition development teams, where cross-departmental staff members and community members collaborate throughout the planning and implementation of an exhibition. Although this practice continues to gain momentum, few research or evaluation studies report on exhibition team facilitation, the process of collaborative curating, and resulting exhibitions. In this qualitative investigation, the author uses an evaluation frame, evaluative inquiry for learning in organizations articulated by Preskill and Torres in 1999, in order to study one exhibition team that incorporated staff and community members at a mid-size art museum in New Orleans. A purposeful sampling method contributed to a six-member exhibition team, including the author, who participated as facilitator, co-curator, and co-learner. Evaluative inquiry uses a constructivist approach to learning as an iterative process that includes individual, team, and organizational learning. As applied in this study, the inquiry cycles guided exhibition development. The author paired evaluative inquiry with grounded theory to analyze collected data across team and exhibition artifacts including audio transcripts of team meetings, blog entries, and the exhibition itself, among others. Results led to the development of the focused exhibition model, which may lead to continued organizational learning at the art museum site where the study took place, or potentially for other small to mid-size museums interested in collaborative exhibition development. The focused exhibition model recommends approaches regarding defining exhibition team curatorial roles, facilitator roles, and a flexible exhibition process. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2013. / May 2, 2013. / curation, exhibition team, organizational learning / Includes bibliographical references. / Pat Villeneuve, Professor Directing Dissertation; Paul Marty, University Representative; Tom Anderson, Committee Member; Jeff Broome, Committee Member; Linda Schrader, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT This qualitative study investigated the experiences of women with impaired vision having an opportunity to create art and literature in a program at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. The study also examined the participants' experiences as examples and non-examples of social justice facilitated by the museum program. The research question guiding this study was: What meanings do participants with visual impairments gain from their involvement in the Women of Vision Program at the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens, what value do they place on the program, how do they feel it affects their quality of life, and what are the implications for social justice in art museum programming? The research questions were answered through observations, interviews and document analysis. Additionally, autobiographical sketches along with creative writing and poetry samples were used to provide greater understanding of the experiences and views of the participants and to provide insights into what is important to them. Photographs of the women engaging in creating artworks are used to encapsulate significant moments that are better portrayed with photographs than through the use of written words. Falk and Dierking's (2000) contextual model for museum learning was utilized as a framework for understanding how women with visual impairments find meaning and connection through their experiences in the Women of Vision museum program. The findings suggest that the unique qualities present in the Women of Vision program include: developing a relationship with advocates that continually identify program participants who might benefit from a program that cultivates creativity through writing and art; providing museum staff who understand the needs of individuals with visual impairments and adapt the museum space and materials to fit those needs; and finally a private, intimate setting conducive to creating a social identity for the participants that fosters supportive relationships. The participants place value on the Women of Vision program because of the positive benefits gained by participating in the writing and art sessions. They perceive the program as providing access to the world from which they would otherwise be increasingly isolated and they value the chance to express themselves and to be heard through visual and written media. They also appreciate the opportunity to socialize with others like them, to enjoy a safe and supportive environment, and to build relationships with strong bonds while also recognizing the importance of being able to act independently. The continuity of the program provides long-term opportunities for the participants to continually grow in a nurturing environment. Implications for future programs include relevance to research conducted for demographics other than women. A research study for a group of young adults with visual impairments, or for a group of men, would explore different perspectives related to the challenges presented by vision loss and seek to answer how access to creative programs for art and writing impacts the lives of such group members. The study also contributes to disability studies and art education, and the potential of transdisciplinarity, while contributing to the documentation of women's lives and experiences. The Women of Vision museum program provided a balance between equality and equity, offering access into a museum program where participants can write and create art. The participants also enjoy the benefits produced by the outcomes of the program. Museum program accessibility for older women with visual impairments proved to be a positive influence on their quality of life. The museum's role in creating an accessible environment, which met the needs of women with visual impairments, is indicative of a museum's ability to facilitate social justice. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 29, 2013. / Art Education, Disability Studies, Museum Education, Social Justice, Visual Impairments / Includes bibliographical references. / Tom Anderson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Peter Easton, University Representative; Pat Villeneuve, Committee Member; Aniinna Suominen-Guyas, Committee Member.

This phenomenological study identifies key morphological properties of spatial configurations in two contemporary educational buildings--the William Johnston Building at Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida) and the Mandel Center for the Humanities at Brandeis University (Waltham, Massachusetts)--and analyzes, through the combined use of Space Syntax and ethnographic research methods, how spatial structure and its permeability, and visibility properties affect educational and learning activities, social interactions, and ultimately shape users' [learning] experiences. At present, these buildings are representative of the prevailing academic and educational paradigms, which include: interdisciplinarity; decreasing importance of hierarchies between academic disciplines and academic activities; a de-emphasis on hierarchical divisions between faculty and students; and an increased role of hybrid social/learning environments for student and faculty use. In keeping with these trends, the design of the two buildings reflects a shift towards accessorizing the traditional classroom and office components of educational buildings with physically and functionally flexible spaces with under-defined programmatic designations. Although these two buildings share some significant syntactic qualities--voluminous atria, overall linearity, and high levels of visual accessibility in the most public spaces--the structures differ to an extent sufficient to draw conclusions about the import of a range of spatial characteristics on learner responses. The quantitative analysis of the spatial properties of the two buildings combined with the consideration of observational and user interview data collected at each facility yielded a number of significant findings, including: (1) that spatial morphology strongly influences the types of programmed or un-programmed educational, social or scholarly activities taking place; (2) that space users' activities and learning experiences are framed and directed by properties of permeability and visibility within educational buildings' spatial configuration; (3) that visibility effects space users on three essential levels--spatial awareness, navigation, and in decision-making about appropriate uses of spaces; (4) that highly visible structural elements (atria) play a major role in shaping visibility relations, while having little effect on permeability; (5) that the more morphologically divided and dispersed spaces are, or less permeable and less visually accessible they are, the greater chance that the space users will also be divided into smaller groups; (6) that the level of face-to-face interaction among space users is heavily determined by spatial factors, programmatic and functional factors, and extracurricular event programming; and (7) the separation of functional zones (i.e. spaces in which intended activities and uses are well defined) creates conditions for greater flexibility within those zones. These formal findings combine to substantiate a number of observations about the influence of spatial characteristics on educational experience, central of which are: (1) the premise that spaces that invite and support unintentional individual and social experiences in learners facilitate the formation of 'transitional environments' wherein the learner may unintentionally and involuntarily transition into a learning state; and (2) that a building's spatial configuration, including visibility and permeability characteristics, can play an important role in supporting and forming social communities within that building, thus realizing the idea that educational environments may be open-ended and encouraging to social interactions, or may inhibit the formation of communities. In sum, through the merging of computational spatial analysis data with the personal perceptions, assessments, feelings and experiences of study participants, this investigation explores the potential for introducing the qualitative data of the learner and the learner's social milieu into alignment with the quantitative data achieved through space syntax analysis, and thereby provides a new methodological resource with which to consider the design of educational architecture. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 31, 2013. / Academic, Architecture, Experiences, Learning, Relationality, Space Syntax / Includes bibliographical references. / Aniina Suominen-Guyas, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lisa Waxman, University Representative; David Gussak, Committee Member; Tom Anderson, Committee Member.