Amelia M. Kraehe

(2017). “For All Without Distinction”: Creative Activity as a Human Right. Art Education: Vol. 70, Creative Activity as a Human Right, pp. 4-7.

(2017). Creative Matter: New Materialism in Art Education Research, Teaching, and Learning. Art Education: Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 32-38.

This article presents case studies of two Black preservice art teachers and their racialized experiences in art teacher education. Drawing from a critical race theory perspective, their stories are conceptualized as emergent counternarratives of becoming an art teacher. The case studies are based on interviews from an ethnographic investigation of teacher identity at a predominantly White university’s art education program. The counter-narratives that emerged chronicle racial microaggressions that participants negotiated as each fashioned an art teacher identity. At a systemic level, the testimonies shed light on the invidious effects of race avoidance in art teacher preparation and art teacher research. The conclusion discusses future directions and implications for making art teacher education programs more inclusive and safe for students of color, while also supporting greater race consciousness among all teachers.

Though it is widely used, the concept of “underserved” is sorely undertheorized in art education. Before the field of art education can effectively address the persistent educational disparities across different sociocultural and economic groups, we need deeper understandings of entangled sociocultural and political processes that create and conceal underservedness. The term “underservedness” moves us away from conceiving of populations, and instead draws attention to cultural articulations and material conditions that prevent certain groups from fully accessing and benefiting from the resources and opportunities for effective education, including high-quality art experiences. In this article, the authors discuss four theoretical perspectives—critical race theory, intersectionality, critical multiculturalism, and social justice education—that can foster nuanced analyses and cogent explanations of art education in the context of underservedness. The discussion focuses on key tenets of these theoretical perspectives, important points of tension and synergy, and their relevance for art education research.