Exploring Visiting Artists' Dual Roles and Constraints in Art Educational Programmes

Abstract

This article investigated the multifaceted role of artists in educational programmes, focusing on the challenges they face while balancing their identity as artist-teacher, artist teacher, artist-educator, and artist educator. This research was conducted in two phases. Phase one interrogated the effectiveness of artists taking on dual roles as both artists and educators/teachers within international and New Zealand's educational programmes. This phase advocated for artists to embrace their original role as artists without the additional burdens of other roles. Moving to phase two, this research employed the method of document analysis to investigate the historical and current engagement of artists in students' museum education within the context of New Zealand. Historically, artists were considered as art technicians with no direct involvement in art teaching or creation. Although the current LEOTC and ELC programmes in New Zealand value artists' contributions to art education, they do not indicate artists' involvement in these two programmes. Drawing from the findings of phase one and two, the study proposed a novel model that emphasises the integration of three elements: learning environment (art museum), people (artists), and objects (artworks). This model suggested that the combined action of these three elements could lead to a transformation from teacher-led teaching to student-centred learning in art education. Such a transition held the potential to enrich students' educational experience through collaborative efforts between artists, museum educators, and schoolteachers, and also enhance students' interdisciplinary learning experiences.