Graeme Sullivan to speak on ‘The Artist as Research Trickster’ Feb. 19

Erica Blust
(315) 443-5891

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.