*This page includes exemplary work by students in art and education courses I have taught. The presentation abstract on this page was generated from a capstone project within Masters Seminar during the Fall of 2008. Enjoy!

Art Education and Family Histories:

How can family histories impact art-making processes?

Presented at the Adelphi University School of Education Capstone Project Presentation: 2008, by Hillary Broder, '09: MA in Art Education at Adelphi University.

This research project is an exploration of myself as an artist, my family, and other artists’ families, leading to an examination of how the arts play a role in various homes and how that can affect a child’s artistic and personal development. In addition, my research has led me to examine family storytelling whether it is through art, collection of information and objects, or family photographs.

I am extremely interested in the idea of artistic inclination and familial influences and I have come to my research topic because of my simple interest into understanding why I myself am an artist. I find myself wondering, if I had been born into a different family, would I still be an artist today? I have always had a deep interest in art, which mainly consisted of drawing and painting and it was never any question at home and in my family, that art was what I was supposed to do.

There are combinations of factors that may have contributed to my predisposition towards art. First, I grew up surrounded by artwork, antiques, and old posters, which adorned the walls in my home. Second, I come from a family of artists, and in my home, art is defined by many terms, painter, illustrator, graphic designer, cook, chef, baker, face painter, as well as intelligible, perceptive, introspective thought and awareness of one’s self, others, and surroundings. My family’s connection to the arts field dates back through the generations.

By studying family origins, histories, and other artists who create art inspired by their families, I would like to encourage art students to appreciate their families, their personal histories, and find meaning in their lives as well as use their lives as inspiration and subject matter for their artwork.