Knochel receives Fulbright award to examine makerspace cultures

Aaron Knochel, associate professor of art education in the College of Arts and Architecture’s School of Visual Arts, has received a 2022-23 Fulbright Scholar Award from the University of Bergen, Norway, for his project, “The Mesh of Making: New Media Art, Maker Cultures and Posthuman Pedagogies.”

As part of the Digital Culture program in the Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies, Knochel will examine intersections of new media art, makerspace cultures and pedagogies in arts-integrated learning to better understand creative practice from a broadly interdisciplinary perspective. Outcomes will impact practice in technology-rich education and arts-integrated learning in digital culture.

According to Knochel, developing creative practice, critical thinking and material experimentation are central to learning in the arts. In parallel, growing interest in maker cultures has catalyzed enthusiasm for these practices across all disciplines.

“I believe a deeper understanding of interconnectedness in learning creative practice, from a broadly interdisciplinary perspective, will have significant impact on conceptions of education,” said Knochel.

Knochel is affiliate faculty in the Arts & Design Research Incubator in the College of Arts and Architecture and associate chair of the National Arts Education Association (NAEA) Research Commission. His work focuses on the intersections among art education, social theory and software studies. From community-based media production to engaging digital visual culture in the K-12 art classroom, his interests follow the complexities of civic engagement both through the arts and through network connectivity.