20 May 2020 HOW ARTISTS TEACH LEADERSHIP: EIGHT PORTRAITS
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HOW ARTISTS TEACH LEADERSHIP: EIGHT PORTRAITS OF ARTIST-EDUCATORS by April Hyoeun Bang Dissertation Committee: Professor Victoria Marsick, Sponsor Professor Lyle Yorks Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education Date ___________________________________20 May 2020 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Teachers College, Columbia University 2020 ABSTRACT HOW ARTISTS TEACH LEADERSHIP: EIGHT PORTRAITS OF ARTIST-EDUCATORS April Hyoeun Bang This dissertation explored how eight artists who are also faculty in academic institutions and adult professional development programs teach leadership. As such, the purpose of this study was to understand to what extent and how these self-defined artists who also teach leadership in academic and professional development settings draw from and integrate their roles, skills, experiences, learning, and ways of making meaning as artists to facilitate leadership learning among adults. By doing so, this research sought to move beyond existing technical and conceptual knowledge of arts-based methods in leadership teaching to learning more about specific artists who have inspired or used such methods. Using the method of portraiture embedded in a qualitative exploratory interview study with narrative inquiry, this study reveals an aesthetic approach to research and presents narratives of eight artist-educators in the form of portraits. Portraits were analyzed thematically using a procedure of cross-portrait analysis. Four conclusions emerged from the analysis. These include evidence of participants’ greater integration or interdependence of artist-educator identities and roles in later stages of one’s teaching career, experience of some degree or form of transformation in personal learning journeys with art, emphasis on experiential learning as an essential aspect of teaching, and advice to emerging artist-educators to embrace their artistic ways of being and knowing and integrate art into their teaching. Several recommendations for future research and practice are offered along with concluding reflections. © Copyright April Hyoeun Bang 2020 All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION In loving memory of my grandmother Sarah Okyun Kim who inspired and nurtured faith, leadership, and art in me. To my parents Hae Ock Eunice Kim Bang & Sang Kiel Bang who taught me leadership as an expression of faith. And to artists and all involved in teaching and learning leadership: May the gift of your work carry on and bring hope, healing, and renewal in this world. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation journey was a gift. With both challenge and joy, this journey helped me understand love and grace more fully as I appreciate the support of many to whom I am forever grateful. Ten artist-educators graciously shared their time, stories, and insights with me, and their wisdom and courage deeply touched and inspired me. Among them, eight individuals—”Parker,” “Illiana,” “Shannon,” “Irini,” “Baila,” “Stefan,” “Sofie,” and “Jamie”—welcomed me into their homes and classrooms to help me learn more about their life and work. They also opened their hearts and their journeys with me and allowed what was shared in sacred spaces of conversation to be studied and shared with the world through portraits. I am grateful to these individuals for co-creating with me and entrusting me with a deep honor to uncover and share their precious journey. Thank you to all ten artist-educators for your trust, collaboration, gracious support, and encouragement in this process as dear friends and mentors. Thank you also for the ways you have inspired me and helped me learn. I would like to thank my sponsor and advisor Professor Victoria Marsick for her incredible support and keen guidance throughout my journey at Teachers College and for walking with me through many occurrences of transformative learning, including emerging as an artist. Thank you Victoria for your compassion, wisdom, and loving care through all my tears and frustrations as well as excitement with new discoveries, and thank you and Peter both for your friendship, mentorship, and encouragement through the years. I would also like to thank my faculty mentor and second reader Professor Lyle Yorks for his kind and generous encouragement and support throughout my doctoral iv journey, cheering me on and always offering appreciative feedback. Thank you, Lyle, for always opening your door, for your encouraging presence in art shows at TC and the Walls-Ortiz Gallery and Center, and for our many conversations about whatever was stirring on my heart for leadership, transformative learning, art, and faith. I am grateful to Professor Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, chair of my dissertation committee, and Professor Olga Hubard who provided helpful guidance and feedback as a member of the committee. Thank you, Yolanda, for your fierce love and compassion in teaching and the ways you have modeled and inspired courage, faith, and grace through your mentorship and leadership. Thank you, Olga, for helping me “see” something new in the world of artists and sharing your wisdom and fresh perspectives. In addition to my dissertation committee, I am thankful to many faculty, alumni, and peers at Teachers College who have also supported, encouraged, and helped me grow. I would especially like to thank Dr. Carmela Bennett, Dr. Jo Tyler, Dr. Stephen Brookfield, Dr. Aliki Nicolaides, and Dr. Nancy Goldman for helping me find my voice in writing, community, and leadership and cheering me on with your friendship and support at different stages of my doctoral journey. I would also like to thank Professor Alex Bowers for his encouraging, insightful guidance and mentorship in Education Leadership Data Analytics. I am grateful to Dr. Judy O’Neil, Dr. Pierre Faller, and Holly O’Grady for their mentorship, friendship, and collaboration in action learning. I am also grateful to Professor Ellie Drago-Severson for her compassionate care and support in learning leadership for adult development and to Dr. Jeanne Bitterman, Dr. Terrence Maltbia, Dr. Martha Gephart, and Dr. Carrie Shockley for their teaching and mentorship in adult learning and leadership courses. I would also like to thank Dr. Patricia Cranton, v in honor and loving memory, for believing in my work and journey as a scholar and encouraging me to pursue publishing my first article in an academic journal. I would like to thank Dr. Jun Gao, Tara Geer, Dr. Joy Moser, Dr. Mahbobe Ghods, dear friends Eunji Lee, Bert Benally, and many other friends in the Art and Art Education Department for encouraging and helping me grow as an artist. Words alone cannot fully express my appreciation and wonder for your amazing teaching and open heart in supporting and encouraging me in art. I am grateful to Marjorie Orcel-Cozart, Daniella Young, and Yana Zeltser for their support for our Adult Learning and Leadership program and the ways in which they helped all of us move forward to complete our journeys at TC. In addition, I thank the Organization Leadership Association (OLA) for the support I received as a student as well as the opportunity to serve students in our program and at TC. I am also grateful to Professor Peter Coleman, Dr. Beth Fisher-Yoshida, Meredith Smith, Christine (’Stine) Chung, and others in the community of the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR) at Teachers College and the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, Complexity (AC4) at Columbia’s Earth Institute for supporting my research on arts and conflict resolution in the earlier stages of my doctoral journey. In addition, I would like to thank Russell Gulizia, Dana Klainberg, and others in the Office of Doctoral Studies at TC for their kind support. Both within and outside of Teachers College, there are many mentors and friends who have walked with me on this journey. I would especially like to thank Professor Herman “Dutch” Leonard who has been an extraordinary mentor and teacher from my previous graduate degree program and throughout the years as he shared encouragement vi and insights in my various explorations of social entrepreneurship, “leadership as an expression of faith,” and personal development. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Ronald Heifetz who inspired and helped me grow in my understanding and teaching of adaptive leadership through his teaching, encouragement, and mentorship. I am also grateful to Ambassador Swanee Hunt who encouraged me as a woman of faith and introduced me to a world of women making a difference as she inspired me with her art, story, and family, especially with Charles who listened and shared his music, connected with my family in Korea, and prayed with me and Kim. I thank Dr. Reed Bonadonna who graciously shared his time and journey with me and explored teaching possibilities. I also thank Marc Manashil, Cassie Collier, Erik Yazdani, Latica Tomasic, Dr. Sarah Chace, Dr. Tim O’Brien, Dr. Hugh O’Doherty, my “world family” of Harvard’s Art and Practice of Leadership Development 2017, and many others, as friends and collaborators who also provided helpful insights and encouragement in the journey of adaptive leadership. I thank Professor James Liebman and Dr. Elizabeth Chu at Columbia Law School’s Center for Public Research and Leadership for helping me learn and understand leadership and systemic change in K-12 education. I am grateful to Mako Fujimura who inspired me to make art a prayer and for introducing me to “Illiana.” I am also grateful to my former students at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea who were courageous and wonderful in learning with me as they helped awaken joy in teaching. I love my friends and community. I am truly grateful for all their love and support in this process. I would especially like to thank Dr. Maria Liu Wong who walked closely with me and cheered me on, rallying friends to stop by and bless me after my dissertation defense. I am grateful to Aimee Lace for your persistent partnership in vii prayer and spirit-filled friendship, Elizabeth Park for our shared journey and virtual accountability sessions, and Dr.