Exploring How Narrative and Symbolic Art Impacts Artist, Researcher, Teacher and Communicates Meaning in Art to Students
Abstract
This educational study on narrative and symbolic art and its impact on me as artist, researcher, and teacher and ultimately how the use of narrative and symbolism impacts student learning was conducted throughout the school year 2013-2014 in the environment of both my home and my classroom in a south metro Atlanta high school. The research is based on my reflections of my artistic processes, my research of family history, and my observations as I introduced narrative and symbolic art in the classroom.
The findings of the study reveal that the roles of artist, teacher, and researcher are significantly interrelated and enhance one another; I also believe that my students’ learning was impacted.
While students are at first assigned narrative and symbolic art projects, many begin to extrapolate that art is more meaningful to them when it has a story to tell or includes symbolism with which they associate importance.