NAEA Open Studio Conversation | Cultivating a Culture of Research: Art Education Research in Action With the NAEA Research Commission

Aaron D. Knochel has worked in schools, museums, and community arts programs, both domestically and internationally. Currently, Aaron is an associate professor of art education and affiliated faculty at the Arts & Design Research Incubator (ADRI). Aaron is a mixed-methods researcher, curriculum theorist, and artist with interests in transdisciplinary learning, critical social theory, and media arts. His research includes community-based media production, digital visual culture in K–12 art classrooms, and learning in maker cultures. Current funded projects explore generative AI and interdisciplinary intersections on health, care, and creative practice. His published works include articles in Studies in Art Education, Visual Arts Research, and the International Journal of Education Through Art. He coedited Global Media Arts: Mapping Global Perspectives in Media Arts in Education (Palgrave, 2023) and Critical Digital Making in Art Education (Lang, 2020). 

Hyunji Kwon is an associate professor of art education and a faculty affiliate in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina. Her research expertise includes trauma studies and art pedagogy, informed by her extensive community work with trauma-affected individuals, including women living in transitional homes and survivors of sexual violence. She has received prestigious fellowships and awards, including one from the National Endowment for the Arts, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She has also served on editorial boards for prominent journals in the field. Currently, she is working on a solo-authored book on trauma and art pedagogy. 

Cappie Dobyns earned her PhD from Drake University and is a 35-year veteran of teaching middle school art and gifted & talented in Texas and now Iowa. She sponsors a chapter of the National Junior Art Honor Society (NJAHS) which inspired her passion, research, and service in talent development and high-ability art education. In the National Association of Gifted (NAGC), Cappie served as chair of the NAGC's Arts Network. In NAEA she serves as a Research Commissioner, a member of the Professional Materials Committee, and as secretary of the newly formed Interest Group, Developing Potential & Talent in Art (DPTA). She received NAEA’s Outstanding NJAHS Sponsor Award in 2013 and has been a two-time recipient of NAEA's Western Region Middle Level Educator Award in 2001 and 2020. 

Kelly Bisogno is the coordinator of fine arts at the Virginia Department of Education. She has taught art to children, teens, and adults for over 15 years. She holds BFA degrees in Sculpture and Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in educational technology and education leadership. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Virginia Art Education Association and Virginia Art Educator of the Year in 2024. Kelly serves on several state and national arts education organizations and is the co-chair of the Arts Education Partnership Data Working Group. 

Keri Reynolds is a National Board Certified Teacher and secondary fine arts lead in Houston, Texas. Her teaching experiences transcend across a variety of age levels ranging from kindergarten to adults in various capacities and community settings and include specialization in teaching studio art courses at the secondary level. She also serves as the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Secondary Research Commissioner. Her research interests focus on contemporary art and community-based art education with underserved populations. She has presented across the country at NAEA and AP conferences, and her recent publications include articles published in SchoolArts and the Texas Art Education Association’s TRENDS Journal. 

Jane Dalton’s research integrates studio art and teacher education, focusing on transformative learning through mindfulness and the expressive arts. Grounded in neuroscience, Jane’s work explores how contemplative art practices enhance emotional balance, focus, and self-awareness—key elements of creativity and personal growth. Jane’s recent book, The Mindful Studio: Cultivating Creativity and Well-Being in the Classroom (Davis, 2023), expands on these ideas. Jane has coedited three books on contemplative pedagogy, including >span class="NormalTextRun SCXW262617826 BCX0">Through Lectio and Visio Divina, and continues an active studio practice that enriches teaching and research.