Linda Hoeptner Poling
Biography
Linda Hoeptner Poling has been an art educator since 1989. An Associate Professor in Art Education at Kent State University, while raising two children she earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction in 2005. She also earned a M.A. in Art Education in 1998, and a B.A. in Art Education in 1989. Dr. Hoeptner Poling currently serves as President-Elect of the Women’s Caucus of the National Art Education Association. Prior to and overlapping with her higher education experience, Dr. Hoeptner Poling’s positions in K-12 art teaching provided the foundation for her passion to prepare future art educators. Having served two terms as Higher Education Co-Chair for the Ohio Art Education Association, she is committed to serving PK-12 art educators and collaborating with other teacher educators within the state, and nationally. Dr. Hoeptner Poling’s research continues to emphasize awareness and deeper understanding of feminist activism and feminist issues in art education. Her research threads have included the intersections of gendered identity, narrative inquiry as knowledge construction, and equitable pedagogy at all levels of education. Dr. Hoeptner Poling’s lines of inquiry have focused on the symbiotic relationship of motherhood and academia, as well as inclusive and equitable art curriculum for students with special needs through the Kennedy Center and the VSA Program. In addition, recent practice includes the study and teaching of art to the elderly, specifically those with dementia, aiming to reveal the nexus of art making and the elderly within the transformative power of art.
Recent work statement:
Gerontological issues have not received heady nor mainstream attention within the discipline of art education. Approaches from art therapy have been documented, but very few examples of art education exist. Given projections of incredible growth in an aging population in the near future, I aim to fill this void. My research focuses on work to fully include individuals with dementias in art making not through a deficit-oriented lens, but through an empowerment lens. Art educators are particularly adept at flexing, accommodating, and modifying their curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Through my case study research, I, as an art educator, work to address the needs of older adults with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia specifically by creating meaningful art experiences informed by brain research. My research will result in increased quantity and quality of art curriculum models than currently exist.
