The Impact of Student Developed Public Art: A Community Perspective
Location
Golden Eagles
Department
Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies
Abstract
This study sought to examine community members’ beliefs of the impact of student-developed public art in their community. This helped to understand the power of student-created public art in their communities. Findings from the research question: To what extent do community members believe local elementary school students have the power to change their neighborhood through public art, will inform communities, schools, and local and state leaders how best to allocate funds and resources to arts-based youth programs that place students in leadership roles. Community members from Chicago’s 10th Ward were surveyed on community engagement, public arts’ impact on the community, and the perception of student impact on the community were measured. For this study, a mixed methods approach that included a survey to gather quantitative data, and an interview to gather qualitative data was used. For the quantitative survey twenty-five (25) community members from the 10th Ward of Chicago took the survey who were informed via their personal Facebook pages, or by direct email. The survey link was posted to 10th Ward specific community pages on Facebook. Participants had the option to further engage in the study by volunteering for a follow-up interview to elaborate on their survey responses. Participants included people ages eighteen years and older who either resided, worked, owned a business, or utilized resources in the community. In conclusion, the data showed that the community members, of the far southside community in Chicago, wanted more arts initiatives that would promote local elementary school students in creating public art that would uplift the community and be displayed throughout.
Faculty Sponsor
Eleni Makris, Northeastern Illinois University
The Impact of Student Developed Public Art: A Community Perspective
Golden Eagles
This study sought to examine community members’ beliefs of the impact of student-developed public art in their community. This helped to understand the power of student-created public art in their communities. Findings from the research question: To what extent do community members believe local elementary school students have the power to change their neighborhood through public art, will inform communities, schools, and local and state leaders how best to allocate funds and resources to arts-based youth programs that place students in leadership roles. Community members from Chicago’s 10th Ward were surveyed on community engagement, public arts’ impact on the community, and the perception of student impact on the community were measured. For this study, a mixed methods approach that included a survey to gather quantitative data, and an interview to gather qualitative data was used. For the quantitative survey twenty-five (25) community members from the 10th Ward of Chicago took the survey who were informed via their personal Facebook pages, or by direct email. The survey link was posted to 10th Ward specific community pages on Facebook. Participants had the option to further engage in the study by volunteering for a follow-up interview to elaborate on their survey responses. Participants included people ages eighteen years and older who either resided, worked, owned a business, or utilized resources in the community. In conclusion, the data showed that the community members, of the far southside community in Chicago, wanted more arts initiatives that would promote local elementary school students in creating public art that would uplift the community and be displayed throughout.