This mixed methods study assessed the emotional impact of therapeutic art techniques in reducing subjective anxiety by comparing three options for drawing a self-portrait: literal self-portrait, mandala, and free drawing. Undergraduate college students (n = 60) were provided with a mood induction procedure and then randomly assigned to a drawing…

Scholars emphasize how exercising the ability to critically evaluate both sides of an issue can reveal false dichotomies and promote an awareness of common ground among differing perspectives (Journell, 2019; Noddings & Brooks, 2017; Zimmerman & Robertson, 2017). As an art education professor in higher education and former elementary art…

Four volunteer participants who used the services of the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) on our campus attended three sessions where they were interviewed about inclusivity and (a) taught an art technique; (b) taught to do the technique with a partner; and (c) used the technique with a guest whom they identified as having impacted their…

This manuscript suggests that comic art or cartoons can be used for illustrating, depicting, skewering, or even satirizing ethical, unethical, and other practices associated with business decision-making. As a classroom instructional project, the approach presents arguments for why cartooning is a useful tool for business, education, and the arts.…

This article examines the impact that an arts project had on the relationship between a group of asylum seekers and the Italian town where they live. The project brought together local youth and asylum seekers to engage in dance workshops and video-making workshops. This article combines interviews with project participants and teachers with an…

Julia Richardson examines how she used mandala-making with her first-grade class during the COVID-19 pandemic and her school went virtual. A mandala (Sanskrit for "circle") is an "artistic representation of higher thought and deeper meaning given as a geometric symbol used in spiritual, emotional, or psychological work to focus…

The proportion of students studying in higher education institutions who are experiencing mental health needs is increasing and becoming a serious concern. Using participatory arts projects may be key to enabling students to maintain well-being despite the pressures inherent in their student role. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain whether…

This article examines how dance artists with extensive experience with "The Cultural Schoolbag" (TCS), a national programme for bringing the arts into schools, convey their rationale for working in TCS. Previous research has found that the artists' rationale for doing TCS-art is far from established and agreeing on what TCS-art should be…

Wellbeing education (WE) is increasingly offered among secondary schools internationally to promote the physical, social, emotional and mental health of young people. Current and emerging evidence proposes that scope exists for the enhancement of universal WE, and that arts-based approaches have significant potential for school programmes in…

This article considers what might be learnt about inclusion as a concept and practice from sharing visual research data within a public art exhibition and associated workshops. The catalyst for the exhibition and workshops stemmed from a project that involved children and young people creating visual images that they felt represented inclusion or…

Microorganisms are diverse, minute, simple life-forms that generally cannot be seen by the naked eye and require the use of a microscope to be visualized. They have a great impact on all other life-forms. Their tiny size conceals them from us, engendering misunderstanding and fear due to the diseases caused by only a tiny minority of them. We…

This article tells the story of a university community engagement project that began in the late spring of 2020 when the world went into lockdown. Increased concern over women's welfare and well-being was brought into question in relation to those who are vulnerable with complex needs and had suffered societal-induced hardships. In conjunction…

Learning how to regulate emotions is a significant developmental milestone in a child's life. It is important to understand which activities help children cope with emotionally distressing situations. One such activity, I argue, is drawing. In this article, I consider 2 ways in which drawing elevates mood in children: Drawing allows them to be…

Publishing in the academy is a high-stakes activity often used to measure academic staff progress and inform promotion. Many universities have increased pressure on academics, even at the earliest stages of their careers, to publish in high-ranking journals resulting in increased stress and uncertainty. The authors of this paper are members of a…

A 10 week supportive arts program was conducted in Jinja, Uganda via the collaboration between a local nongovernmental organization, a Ugandan artist, and two art therapists from the United States. The artist facilitated weekly artmaking sessions for former unhoused youth being served by the organization, as well as engaged in weekly virtual…