Faculty Members
Virginia Commonwealth University Art Education faculty members are dedicated and celebrated researchers, teachers, and leaders in the field of art and art education. The work of our faculty is published in dozens of journals, anthologies, books, and professional conference proceedings at the national and international level. In addition, our faculty works to maintain exhibition records of their own art work and also curate exhibitions of other artists. They have terminal degrees in our field and are attuned to cutting edge issues in art education such as exhibition of student art, hypertext and hypermedia, interdisciplinary curriculum and instruction, supervision and assessment, service-learning, drawing strategies and analysis, photography, classroom dialogue, community research and outreach projects, and visual culture studies.
Faculty
Dr. Sara Wilson McKay, Interim Chair & Associate Professor
804-828-0471
swilsonmckay@vcu.edu
Sara Wilson McKay is Interim Department Chair and Associate Professor of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Since writing her dissertation on the politics of vision and visuality at The Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Wilson McKay’s research has extended to include the ways in which works of art create new seeing, how looking can be a dialogic process, and the possibilities of seeing more of the educational process in and through art. Employing critical and new media theory in her work, her publications range from practical pedagogical models for teachers of art to theoretical essays considering art and education in a broader purview. Recent publications include: “The space between: Intersubjective possibilities of transparency and vulnerability in art education” in the Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (2009), “Balancing hope and rage: Lived cultural violence and an art teacher's possibilities” co-authored with J. Crowder in Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education (2009), “Seeking policies for cultural democracy: Examining the past, present, and future of U.S. nonprofit arts” co-authored with L. Lewis in Studies in Art Education (2008), and “Education as Installation Art and Other Useful Ideas from the Contemporary Art World: Conversations with Artist Annette Lawrence” in Art Education: The Journal of the National Art Education Association (2008).
Dr. Pamela G. Taylor, Research Director & Associate Professor
804-828-3804
pgtaylor@vcu.edu
Dr. Pamela G. Taylor was recently honored as a National Art Education Association Distinguished Fellow and Southeastern Art Educator of the year. In 2010, she was named the National Higher Educator of the Year and the Virginia Art Educator of the Year. In 2008, Dr. Taylor was awarded a 1.05 million dollar grant from the Qatar National Research Foundation grant for development of eLASTIC: Electronic Learning and Assessment Tool for Interdisciplinary Connections. (create a link to the research page)
Dr. Taylor earned her Ph.D. in Art Education from the Pennsylvania State University at which time she was named a Getty Doctoral Fellow for her research “Hypertext-based Art Education: Implications for Liberatory Learning in High School.” Following ten years of public school teaching, Dr. Taylor taught at Radford University and The University of Georgia prior to coming to VCU. Dr. Taylor is well respected in the field of art education for her research in the areas of hypertext theory, interactive computer technology, hyperaesthetic theory, service-learning, curriculum, and assessment in art education. Dr. Taylor's publications include a book-length exhibition catalog on the work of artist Joseph Norman, book chapters and essays in art education anthologies, numerous invited and peer reviewed articles in such respected journals as Studies in Art Education, Art Education, FATE in Review, Computers in Schools, The International Education Journal, Innovate, and The Journal of Hypermedia. Her co-authored book (with B. Stephen Carpenter, II, Christine Ballengee-Morris and Billie Sessions) entitled Interdisciplinary Approaches to Teaching Art in High School was published by the National Art Education Association in the summer of 2006. Her current research involves service-learning and art foundation, interactive computer technology and inquiry and meaning-based art education, music video and visual culture art education, art education experiences in Cuba, and virtual learning portfolios.
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~pgtaylor
Dr. Melanie Buffington, Assistant Professor & Graduate Programs Coordinator
804-828-3805
mbuffington@vcu.edu
Dr. Melanie L. Buffington, Assistant Professor of Art Education, earned her Ph.D. and M.A. at The Ohio State University and her B.S. at The Pennsylvania State University. She previously taught middle school art in Maryland and has interned in numerous museums.
Her current research interests include: museum education, technology in art/museum education, Web 2.0, interdisciplinary curriculum, multicultural education, contemporary art, and pre-service teacher preparation. She has published articles, reviews, and chapters in several publications in the field including Visual Arts Research, Art Education, Studies in Art Education, Computers in the Schools, and the Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education.
Recent publications include: (2011). "Redirecting discussion: Challenges related to the social aspects of online educational environments" S. Hoffman, (Ed.) in Teaching the humanities online: A practical guide to the virtual classroom (2011), "Podcasting potentials in art education" in Art Education (2010), "(Other)wise: The myth of Wikipedia" in the Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (2009), and "Developing multicultural intelligence through the work of Kehinde Wiley" in the Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education (2009).
Dr. David Burton, Professor
804-828-3783
dburton@vcu.edu
Dr. Burton has taught at VCU for 25 years. He received his Ph.D. in Art Education from the Pennsylvania State University. He has been honored as an NAEA Fellow (2005), NAEA Higher Education Art Educator of the Year (2001), NAEA Southeastern Art Educator of the Year (1999), VAEA Virginia Art Educator of the Year (2001), VCU School of the Arts Distinguished Achievement in Teaching (2002), and VCU School of the Arts Distinguished Achievement in Service (1997). He is active in professional art education organizations at the national and state levels. Dr. Burton has published numerous articles on demographics related to art education, secondary analysis of national (NAEP) research in art education, and student art exhibitions, in such publications as Art Education, Studies in Art Education, and Visual Arts Research. His book entitled Exhibiting Student Art was published in 2006 by Teachers College Press.
Dr. Nancy Lampert, Assistant Professor
804-828-3772
nalamper@vcu.edu
Dr. Nancy Lampert holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in Painting and Drawing from San Francisco State University, a master's degree in Art Education from VCU, and a doctorate in Education from The College of William & Mary. She taught art at the secondary level in Massachusetts, and has also worked as a professional artist, graphic designer, and art director.
Dr. Lampert's current scholarship focuses on curriculum, technology in art education, and critical thinking in the arts. Her research has been published in numerous journals, including “Art Education” and “Studies in Art Education” and she recently co-authored a textbook chapter on standards based integration of technology into art education curricula. Dr. Lampert has presented her research regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Dr. Ryan Patton, Assistant Professor
804-828-2803
Dr. Ryan M. Patton, Assistant Professor of Art Education, earned his Ph.D. and M.S. at The Pennsylvania State University and his B.A. at
The University of Iowa. Before returning to Penn State for his Ph.D., Dr. Patton taught high school art in the South Bronx and over the past ten years, taught animation and game design with the Smithsonian Summer Associates. For his dissertation, "Games as artistic medium: Interfacing complexity theory in game-based art pedagogy," Dr. Patton won in 2011 a Penn State Alumni Association Dissertation Award. While pursuing his Ph.D., Dr. Patton co-created an augmented reality game called CitySneak which explores disrupting conventions of public space and surveillance with smart phone devices. He also designed and produced a set of modular electronic switches intended for youth to design video game controllers. These projects led Dr. Patton to be involved with Studio Lab, a collaborative space at Penn State merging laboratory experiments and data analysis in the social science tradition with computer gaming and aesthetic design in the fine arts context.
Dr. Patton's current research interests include: technology in art education, games-based pedagogy, physical computing, data
visualization, visual culture, and urban education.
His publications include:Patton, R. & Kenyon, M. (2010). Physical computing and video game art education in R. Sweeny (Ed.), Digital visual culture: Interactions and intersections in 21st century art education. Reston, VA: Nation Art Education Association. Patton, R. & Sweeny, R. W. (2009). Citysneak: Play, pedagogy & surveillance in A. de Souza e Silva & D. Sutko (Eds.), Hybrid reality and location-based games: Reconfiguring social and urban networks via locative media. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing. Refereed Journals: Patton, R. (2010). Obstructing the view: An argument for the use of obstructions in art education pedagogy. Journal of Social Theory in Art Education, 30(1), 49-59. Patton, R. (2007). Animations in a Flash. SchoolArts.107(4). Patton, R. (2005). “Why” Project: Art in the Aftermath. Visual Arts Research, 31(1), 35-80.
Ms. Jan Johnston, Project Manager, Instructor
804-828-4865
johnstonja@vcu.edu
Jan Johnston received her Masters’ of Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2008 and began work on a certificate in Instructional Technology. Before coming to Virginia, Ms. Johnston earned her bachelor of arts degree from North Carolina State University in Multidisciplinary Studies and completed her K-12 Art teaching certification in 1997.
While teaching middle school and high school in North Carolina for several years, Ms. Johnston earned her National Board Certification and completed various levels of training in the International Baccalaureate Programme. As a VCU student, her teaching experience informed her role as service-learning graduate assistant, adjunct instructor and University Supervisor. Currently, she teaches the department’s Art Foundation Project Class and is the Project Manager for the development of eLASTIC, funded by a million dollar grant from the Qatar National Research Foundation. In addition to frequent travels to the Middle East, Ms. Johnston continues working with the Mayan Arts Program (MAP), an maintaning an arts based, international service–learning partnership in the highlands of Guatemala.
Molly McFadden, Advising & Licensure Coordinator
804-828-1198
Jessica "Jett" Harsh, Administrative Coordinator
804-828-1996
Adjunct Faculty
Travis Fullerton
Josh Spees
Tim Bearse
University Supervisors
University Supervisors act as advocates, role models and mentors for student teachers.
Kathy Barclay
Sarah Mays
Janet Payne
Pearl Quick, Level II Clinical Faculty
Gene Toutsi
Kim Turner, Level II Clinical Faculty
Peggy Wood
