Annotated Bibliography
LTC 8750: Research in Art Education
University of Missouri
Kaj Lofgreen
My interest in teaching art includes working with older adults as well as children in a community
art setting. I wonder if meaningful art making and using a 21st century approach to teaching art
can empower older art students more than ever before, and by doing so, give them a voice for
their creative ideas and dreams, which can help make connections and more meaningful
experiences. Some studies indicate the benefit of art education for older people. I also wonder
what positive effects would be evident in their physical and emotional health and wellbeing if
they were taught art in a more meaningful, dynamic way.
Moody, E., & Phinney, A. (2012). A community-engaged art program for older people:
Fostering social inclusion. Canadian Journal on Aging, 31(1), 55-64.
It has become more evident that older adults need support from the community to
increase social inclusion due to the consequences of social isolation that can lead to
negative health consequences and reduce the quality of life for these individuals.
Therefore, how communities can be more inclusive and supportive of their older citizens
has become a major concern. (p. 337) this study focuses on a program in the city of
Vancouver, Canada, called the Arts, Health, and Seniors (AHS) program, that was
designed to addresses this concern. The goal of this program is to help create strong,
healthy communities that engage seniors as full active participants. As part of an
evaluation process this study was designed to determine how this program supported
seniors so as to give direction and aid to practitioners working with this population. This
qualitative study used ethnographic methods that included observations, interviews, and
document reviews, which contributed to a holistic view of the program. This study
showed connections and results were evident including engaging in the public spaces,
making intergenerational connections, and connecting with other artists. Most expressed
great satisfaction and meaning derived from making artwork that was a new and
significant experience. Group collaboration and ownership developed. Intergenerational
experience occurred with school children where the elders were seen as collaborating
artists. Contributions to community and new social roles came out of the development of
new skills acquired in the program. The study confirmed that the AHS program was a
success. Reading about this study broadened my idea of the benefits gained by engaging
older adults in art education.
Lawton, P. H., & La Porte, A. M. (2013). Beyond traditional art education: Transformative
lifelong learning in community-based settings with older adults. Studies in Art
Education: A Journal of Issues and Research in Art Education, 54(4), 310-320.
Older adults over the age of 50 should have access to high quality art education that
includes the latest in cognitive science, developments in adult education, and best
practices in art education. Older adults have years of experience, knowledge and skills to
draw upon and match with their personal interests that naturally supplies inspiration in
the arts. The ability to reinterpret past experience and in the process, transform beliefs,
and add ideas, can provide powerful creative inspiration. Through art making,
transformative experiences can occur in different age groups and cultures within the adult
population. Through the Committee of Lifelong Learning, the NAEA has supported
education for all ages for over 50 years. Now more than ever this seems appropriate
considering the number of adults 65 and older will more than double to over 88 million.
Studies have indicated that transformative learning occurs in older adults when learning
took place with an intergenerational experience. Reports are made of a change in their
self-image, their capabilities, and changes to how they view their community as well.
This article touched on aspects of art educations being a catalyst for positive changes in
both individuals and communities. With a growing aging population I do see that it is
important for society to have art education available to all people.
La Porte, A. M. (2015). Older adult responses to art curriculum and self-directed
learning, International Journal of Education through Art 11(1), 5974.
This article relates a study designed to learn more about how older adults respond to
varied art curriculum and independent learning. A classroom of older students was
observed that met once per week for two hours. It consisted of up to ten adults from a
low-income senior housing facility. Findings indicate that the curricula should include the
many levels of art skills and knowledge as well as individual life experience. The teacher
became more of a facilitator and resource for self-directed learning. Considerations
should be made for finding out what students want to study and to introduce many
different styles and artists to the class to expand their knowledge and inspire art-making.
Themes developed that added meaning to the lessons that center on a big idea. This was
the first article that I found to relate to a postmodern art curriculum.
Barret, D. B. (1993). Art Programming for Older Adults: Whats out There?, Studies in Art
Education, Vol. 34(3), 133-140
This article looks at the literature related to art education for older adults written in the
past ten years to determine if there have been new innovations to art programming for
older adults since the important book, Lifelong Learning and Visual Arts (Hoffman,
Greenberg, & Fitzner, 1980) was released. An objective in the review was to keep a look
out for innovative programs in particular; ones that focus in on creative thinking and selfexpression that could be models for the future. At this time most of the research in arts
programming for older adults was found in gerontology or leisure studies journals.
Greenberg advocated in 1985, five years after the earlier book, that art educators need to
the step up and help promote change away from the prolific craft kits that were directed
by staff and therapists that provided most of the art activities for most elders, which are
found in residential facilities and community centers. Greenberg also advocates for the
development of certification of art teachers that want to specialize in working with the
older adult population and for the education of professional staff and therapists that work
with older adults to recognize quality art instruction.
Kauppinen, H. (1990). Changing Perspectives on Older Adults Mental Abilities and
Educational Needs: Implications for Art Education, Studies in Art Education, Vol. 31(2),
99-105.
This article looks at the art education interconnects with the learning process in the
development of special mental strengths and abilities that older people often develop later
in life. The accumulation of experiences sets them apart from younger age groups.
Studies could be looked at from a gerontology point of view or from an art study
viewpoint which can look for deeper meanings in the lives and experiences of
participants and to connections to culture and deeper understanding of themselves and
others. The educational needs of this population can be put into five groups: influence
need, coping need, expressive need, contributing need, and transcendental need
(McClusky, 1974). The ability of integration of understandings and the aspect of life
review in older people relate well to art education. Aspects of metal abilities may go
undetected and should be examined and studied.
Jones, J. E. (1980). The Elderly Art Student: Research and the Participants Speak, Art
Education, Vol. 33(7), 16-20.
An older study based on interviews with seniors 65 or older at a variety of settings in the
Pacific Northwest. The locations included senior housing, recreation classes, private
shops with classes and community centers. This overview mentions that few resources
were found to aid the art teacher who wishes to teach the elderly. Comments and
observations were deemed more helpful than looking at quantitative data. Personal
quotes from participants such as; I was sick, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I had
to change my life, church, friends, everything. I couldn't hold a brush when I started.... It
has done wonders for me(p. 16) are included in this article. Much of the information on
how to teach the elderly comes from learning psychology. Older students often vocalize
their desire for guidance. It seems they want good instruction like anyone though. One
persons quote said something like, the teacher just kept telling me to draw it, without
giving suggestions or approaches that a student could take, which it import especially for
beginners in my opinion. Also, it is recommended in this article that care in treating
everyone as individuals is key. Avoid generalizations about older students, and keep in
mind that they differ amongst themselves more than any other age group due to their age
and differing experiences and past achievements. I read into this the need also to survey
the class for what the expectations are that the students desire to learn. Dont assume
everyone will just jump on board.
Weintraub, A.P.C., & Killian, T.S. (2007). Intergenerational programming: Older persons
perceptions of its impact. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 26, 370 384.
This qualitative study focused on the perceptions that thirteen elderly participants of adult
day services reported about how intergenerational programs affected their emotional
well-being. These adult services are designed to offer an individual plan of care to assist
seniors who have cognitive or physical limitations or impairments. Interviews were
transcribed and coded to discover themes which emerged. These themes included peer
support, freedom of choice, enthusiasm, family connections, and a sense of being needed
(p. 373). Results of the study reported very positive feelings for the intergenerational
program and showed implications for practitioners. It is necessary to find new and better
ways to meet the cognitive, emotional, and social needs of seniors. Intergenerational
programming is likely to continue to grow in importance.
Taylor, C.L. (1987). Art and the Needs of the Older Adult, Art Education, Vol. 40(4), 8-15.
This informational article outlines the needs and benefits for older adult learners of art
and breaks them down into several themes: art is timeless, art is leisure, art is work, art
is public, art is intimate, art is dreaming, art is posterity. The introduction reminds the
reader that in the U.S. there is a history that is still evident today that we do not value
older people and consequently they do not value themselves as much. Through art,
however, seniors can help alleviate the negativity of ageism. This helps give meaning to
their lives. Under the themes articulated art as timeless reminds the reader that art can
take us to different times in our minds. The older artist also can use the awareness of his
or her limited time to focus on the most important activities in his or her life and better
discern what is important in an art composition even eliminating the unnecessary in the
creation of a work of art. This can strengthen the form and save time. This article used
some outdated terminology; however I see it as useful to give a reader a picture that is
almost 30 year old of what art education could look like for seniors of that era. Also
included in the article are insights that are still relevant today.
Schmidt, P. B. (2006), Creativity and coping in late life, Generations, 30: 1, 2731
We find out in this article, which is an overview of research dealing with creativity, how
studies have shown that there are connections to the reduction of pain and increased
neurological effects to creative people that suffer from pain and other consequences of
aging. The creative process is naturally unconventional and artists naturally are
unconventional thinkers. In some studies it has been found that creative elders can
experience less pain and more positive emotions by way of the higher-order thinking.
Higher-order thinking produces positive emotions which in turn produces brain chemicals
which help reduce pain and increase pleasurable feelings. These creative thinkers seem
to share an optimism that is helpful in dealing with adversity and a refocusing away from
their difficulties. I can see that communicating these results to older art students could
be beneficial to their wellbeing and might speed up the process of these positive results if
artists were aware of these neurological benefits derived from creative artistic thinking
processes.
Greenberg, P. (1987). Visual Arts for Older People. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas,
Publishers.
This book is written by a professor of fine arts and coordinator of art education in New
Jersey. Contained are many ideas for art teachers to draw upon for teaching older adults
that incorporate media of all types. Besides traditional media, new media such as digital
and video are included. The author also includes chapters on art for disabled older
students. I look forward to reading the book to get a better idea of how to teach to the
older adult and how I can include 21st century art education practices and principles to
have more impact on these adult students.
Hanna, G. (2006). Focus on Creativity and Aging in the United States. Generations, 30(1),
47-49.
This advocacy article outlines the benefits for and recommendations for policy makers
for the benefit of our growing elderly population. Benefits outlined include healthcare,
lifelong learning, and community building. A national conference was held in 2005
sponsored by the NAEA, the National Endowment for the Arts, along with AARP, the
National Center for Creative Aging. It brought together national leaders in the fields of
art education, healthcare, government and research. This article shed light on findings
that included best practices and model programs. In healthcare for example, studies show
the physical and mental benefits of the arts, which have helped grow arts programs in
healthcare. However with a lack of funding for resources and the need to increase
education and understanding about the benefits of the arts for programs designed for
older adults, recommendations were made for more advocacies to policy makers. It is
appealing to see the many benefits of arts education which are outlined by research in this
article. I see a need for more research which could eventually help with finding solutions
to some of societys problems regarding the care and welfare of our older citizens.
