The Right to be an Artist: Operationalizing Studio Art Practices for People with Cognitive and Intellectual Disabilities

This dissertation, The Right to be an Artist: Operationalizing Studio Art Practices for People with Cognitive and Intellectual Disabilities examines the practical, philosophical, fiscal and social policy realities of people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities (CIDs) who want to live as artists in the community. It investigates the art practices of 16 local artists working in an urban studio endeavoring to realize their dreams against the barriers mounted by existing disability policies and the art world. Due to the nature of the participants disabilities, the research also looks to eight individuals who support these artists journeys, deepening the readers understanding of studio processes and supports. This multi-methods study weaves Narrative Inquiry and Arts-Informed methodologies into an intricate tapestry employing methods such as review of literature, face-to-face interviews, participant observation, collaborative artwork, art creation, art analysis and the researchers journaled personal experiences as an artist, an art educator, and a researcher.

Since artmaking is central to knowledge-building in this dissertation, each chapter begins with an artwork and an artists statement by the artist-teacher-researcher to orient the reader toward the authors thinking. The chapter outlining the narrative data of the participants also highlights a collaborative drawing project between the researcher and an artist at the studio. A series of seven handmade books entitled Coffee Talk hold graphically designed artists statements written in conjunction with the studys artist-participants accompanied by a selection of artworks commending and crediting their knowledge. All pages can be inserted into the books concertina bindings and viewed privately or withdrawn and mounted alongside artists physical artworks in a formal, public-exhibition setting. Although society often labels their work under many banners such as Art Brut, Outsider Art, Nave Art, it is the researchers belief that this work should be labelled simply as Art whose unique style and rationale stem directly from each of the artists who created it.