Syracuse University's 2008-09 Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) based in the
College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) will present the lecture "The Artist as
Research Trickster" by Graeme Sullivan, professor of art education at Columbia
University Teachers College, Thursday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the Lender
Auditorium in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management building.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Discounted paid parking is available in the
University Avenue Garage. Visitors should mention that they are attending the
lecture to obtain the discounted rate.
Sullivan's scholarly interest involves an ongoing investigation of critical-reflexive
thinking processes and methods of inquiry used in the visual arts. His research
involves inquiries into the intellectual and imaginative practices of artists and the way
the arts are mediated as a means of learning by cultural commentators, teachers and
students. These ideas and approaches are described in his book "Art Practice as
Research: Inquiry in the Visual Arts" (Sage, 2005), which argues that art practice can
be a form of research.
An influential interdisciplinary thinker, teacher and artist, Sullivan has published
widely in the field of art education, and in 1990 was awarded the Manuel Barkan
Memorial Award for his scholarly writing by the National Art Education Association.
He is also author of "Seeing Australia: Views of Artists and Artwriters" (Piper Press,
1994). He has fulfilled many professional roles and is the former senior editor of
Studies in Art Education, the research journal of the NAEA. He maintains an active
art practice, and his "Streetworks" have been installed in several international cities
and sites over the past 15 years.
Sullivan is the former chair of the Department of Arts & Humanities at Teachers
College and previously taught at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He
received a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1984.
The IRG is a faculty-driven, cross-college incubator for development that spotlights a
new theme each year and provides a catalyst and resources for developing creative
research and/or teaching projects. The goal of the IRG is to establish a peer
environment that fosters a longstanding, accumulative and noncompetitive social
network. The theme of the 2008-09 IRG is "New Relevance for Arts and Design
Practices"; it is sponsored by the VPA Advisory Council. For more information about
the IRG, visit http://vpa.syr.edu/interdisciplinary.
For more information about the lecture, contact James Haywood Rolling Jr., dual
associate professor of art education and teaching and leadership, at (315) 443-2355 or
jrolling@syr.edu.
VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire
audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. The
college provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that
thrives on critical thought and action. Learn more at http://vpa.syr.edu.
