Ivan Asin (Teachers College)
Art Education and Sustainability: Bridging Scientific Knowledge with Pedagogical Practices

In a rapidly changing world and in the face of a climate crisis that is threatening the systems that sustain our most basic needs, there is an urgency for thinking about the ways in which we teach art, the materials we use, the waste we produce and the thinking around materials and consumerism we foster to our students. My research leading up to this study and the literature indicate that there is a growing interest among art educators for aligning sustainable ways of thinking with their teaching and for understanding the lifecycle and impact of the art materials they use in their classrooms. The work of scholars and scientists certainly show ways forward and provide the field with important insights for understanding materials beyond expressive purposes. However, the accessibility and applicability of these contributions by art educators is yet to be examined. In this study, I cross examined data from interviews conducted with ten participants, five scholars and five art educators, who through their experiences and views provided the study with an insight into the current place of sustainable lifestyle practices in art education.

Advisor: Dr. Judith Burton, Macy Professor of Art Education

Bio: Ivan Asin, a candidate for the Ed.D in Art Education at Teachers College, is an NYC-based art educator. His work focuses on establishing connections between art education and Education for Sustainable Development. He studied Visual Arts at Montclair State University, earned a Masters Degree in Art & Design Education from Pratt Institute and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Art Education Program at Teachers College. In 2017 he was awarded the title of Master Environmental Educator by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education and is currently part of the Fulbright Specialist roster. Since 2010, Iván has taught visual arts in the New York City public school system and community-based art programs in Amsterdam and New York. As the founder and leading art educator of CAES, Iván has taught workshops in Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Honduras and the United States, and has presented his research at conferences and higher education institutions globally.