One Practice, Three Studios: A Comparative Case Study of Three Studios for Artists with Disabilities

With significant changes in attitudes towards disability over the past 50 years, there has been an increase in opportunities for adults with disabilities. Arts programming for adults with disabilities has become popular in the form of specialized studio programs that provide a range of opportunities for artists who participate. Many of these programs stem from larger social services agencies like those that are prevalent in Central Ohio. With a background in art education and a research interest in disability, I have conducted a study to explore three art studios for artists with disabilities in the Central Ohio area. This study sought to explore how these programs operate on a daily basis as well as the initial intentions of the facilitators and artists who work in them. The studios were chosen based on their location and my level of access to them as a former volunteer and intern with some of the participating artists and facilitators. The research questions explored in this study are • How do these studios impact participating artists with disabilities? • What are the benefits these studio programs provide? • How do different program models affect these benefits? • What are facilitators and artists seeking in their participation in these settings?

In order to explore the answers to these questions, data was gathered in the form of organizational histories, observations, collaborations, and interviews. Using a mixture of methods influenced by the methodologies of case study, portraiture, and action research, three portrait case studies were created. I then analyzed these portraits using a theoretical framework that incorporates disability theory and literature from the fields of art education and disability studies. An analysis of each portrait led to the conclusion that each studio was serving a similar mission but was doing so using different methods and philosophies pertaining to art and vocational training. This study also revealed the different impacts on studio programming that were a result of the historical contexts of each organization as well as the current attitudes of the participating facilitators and artists.