Beyond the Canon: Seeking Black Women Artists in K-12 Art Education Teaching Resources

Despite the plethora of textbooks and teaching resources to guide the instructor in transmitting knowledge and skills for classroom instruction and curriculum development, many K-12 art education resources feature White, Eurocentric artists. Black women K-12 art educators are challenged to locate resources that enhance students’ understanding and interest in racial and gender identities. This research critically explores the representation and availability of Black women artists in K-12 art education textbooks and teaching resources. The images and artists in art education textbooks are crucial and can affect students’ understanding of art and teachers' development of an inclusive curriculum. I, therefore, investigated, through a Black feminist perspective, the underrepresentation of Black women artists in art education teaching resources. Drawing on narrative inquiry, I interviewed Black women elementary and secondary art educators throughout the United States to reveal the availability of Black women artists for classroom instruction and curriculum development. As a result, the data collected highlights emergent themes and subthemes that describe patterns of Whiteness in art education. This research demonstrates the need to diversify K-12 art education textbooks and teaching resources beyond a few token Black women artists.