Ami Kantawala

Dr. Ami Kantawala serves as an adjunct associate professor in the Art and Art Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York, and also teaches in Boston University’s online Master of Art Education program. She teaches a variety of courses at both universities ranging from research methods, master’s seminars, history of art education, and leadership in art education, along with supervision of Masters’ research theses. She also served as a full-time Lecturer and Program Manager in the Arts Administration Program at Teachers College from 2011-13. She completed her BFA in Painting and Metalcraft at Sir J. J. School of Applied Art in Bombay, India, and went on to complete her Ed.M. and Ed.D. in Art Education at Teachers College. She completed an extensive training program in Leadership from HERS Wellesley Institute in 2012-13. She was awarded the Eastern Region Higher Art Educator of the Year from the National Art Education Association. Dr. Kantawala was elected to be the incoming senior editor (beginning March 2020) for one of the field’s bonafide peer-reviewed journal Art Education (published by NAEA and ranked fourth in the world in art education).

At Teachers College, Dr. Kantawala has pioneered coursework on the History of Art Education through a unique visual studies lens. She has designed two online courses on “Insightful and Creative Leadership within Arts Education” and “Master’s Research Project” for Boston University’s online master’s program. These courses acquaint and prepare in-service art teachers with the basic research skills and organizational strategies of leadership and management that are needed to serve within school systems and arts educational organizations, specifically museums and community art centers. The research course introduces students to the conventions and practice of qualitative research in the context of art education and as a form of inquiry that is grounded in the theories, practices, and contexts used by art practitioners working in schools, museums, community agencies, etc. which aids in strengthening and informing the students’ practice.

Her research intersects historical methods, cultural studies, postcolonial theory, higher education leadership, qualitative research, and mentoring. She has published articles in research journals such as Visual Arts Research, Studies in Art Education, and the International Journal of Art and Design Education. Dr. Kantawala also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning and Teaching Art, Studies in Art Education, Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (both journals published by the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education. She has served as the co-chair of the brain trust on historical research methods in Art Education for the Higher Education Division Research Steering Committee, and recently served as the Eastern Region Director of the Higher Education Division for NAEA. She has also presented at several NAEA, AERA (American Education Research Association), HES (History of Education Society) and CAA (College Art Association) conferences on historical research, mentoring, new faculty development, international histories, research methods, undocumented histories of art education and art education in India.

Publications

Books

Kantawala, A. & Bolin, P. (Eds.). (2017). Revitalizing history: Recognizing the struggles, lives and achievements of African American and women art educators. Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press. (Chapters in this text were a result of Brushes with History Conference held at TC in Fall 2015)

Book Reviews: Revitalizing History

Kitzmiller, E. (2018). Book Review: Revitalizing history: Recognizing the struggles, lives, and achievements of African American and women art educators. History of Education Quarterly, 58 (4), 595-596.

Staikidis, K.  (2018). Media review: Revitalizing history: Recognizing the struggles, lives, and achievements of African American and women art educators.  Studies in Art Education, 59(2), 159-163.

Book Manuscript in Progress

Kantawala, A., Bolin, P. & Stankiewicz, M.A. Stepping stones: A history of art education. Publisher: Currently the proposal is under review with Teachers College Press, New York, NY.

Journal Editorship

• Associate Editor (2019-2020): Art Education
• Senior Editor (2020-2023): Art Education
• Past Editor (2023-24): Art Education
• Art Education is the official journal of the National Art Education Association. Art Education covers a diverse range of topics of professional interest to art educators and anyone whose interest is quality visual arts education. It is published bi-monthly in full color, and each issue features an Instructional Resource article, making Art Education a significant addition to every teacher’s reference library.

Guest Editorship: Refereed Journal Special Issues

Kantawala, A. & Hafeli, M. (Eds.). (2016). Special Issue: Mentorship to intellectual partnership: Co-authoring and dialogic production through co-construction of research. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 5 (3).

Kantawala, A. & Bolin, P. (Eds.). (2016). Special Issue: Brushes with history: Imagination and innovation in art education history. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 5(2).

Kantawala, A. & Rolling, J. (Eds.). (2014). Special Issue: Insightful and creative leadership within arts education: History, challenges, opportunities, and practices. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 3(3).

Kantawala, A., Daichendt, J., Funk, C. & Holt, A. (Eds.). (2013). Special Issue: Critical re-framing of art education histories. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 2(3).

Articles in Refereed Journals

Kantawala, A. (2019). Commentary: Your reading of Mabel D’Amico: A missed opportunity. Studies in Art Education, 60(1), 80-85.

Kantawala, A. (2017). Mabel D’amico (1909-1998): Reminiscences from the past. Studies in Art Education, 58(2), 141-154.

Kantawala, A. & Daichendt, J. (2016). George Wallis (1811–1891) and Ernest Beinfeld Havell (1861– 1934): Juxtaposing Historical Perspectives on Nineteenth-Century Drawing Books in England and India. International Journal of Education through Art, 36(1), 71-81.

Kantawala, A. (2012). Art education in colonial India: Implementation and imposition. Studies in Art Education, 53 (3), 208-223.

Kantawala, A., Hochtritt, L., Rolling, J., Serig, D., Staikidis, K. (2009). Establishing collaboration endeavors across generations: The mentor and the apprentice. Visual Arts Research Journal, 35 (2), 40-50.

Editorials in Refereed Journals

Kantawala, A. & Hafeli, M. (2016). Editorial: Mentorship to intellectual partnership: Co-authoring and dialogic production through co-construction of research. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 5 (3), 243-245.

Kantawala, A. & Bolin, P. (2016). Editorial: Brushes with history. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 5 (2), 129-132.

Kantawala, A. & Rolling, J. (2014). Editorial: A ‘gathering’ of sorts: Opening up space for a conversation on creative leadership for and in the arts. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 3 (3), 227-232.

Kantawala, A., Daichendt, J., Funk, C. & Holt, A. (2013). Editorial: Critical re-framing of art education histories. Journal of Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 2 (3), 197-200.

Conference Reviews in Refereed Journals

Kantawala, A. (2013). NAEA 2011 Conference review, Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 2 (2), 185-188.

Kantawala, A. (2012). NAEA 2011 Conference review, Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 1 (1), 81-83.

Articles in Progress for Publication in Refereed Journals

Kantawala, A. (TBD). Mabel D’Amico (1909-1998): Pedagogical practices. Will be submitted: Studies in Art Education (Research in progress).

Kantawala, A. (TBD). International histories of art and design education: A theoretical lens. In process of being submitted to: History of Education Quarterly.

Kantawala, A. (TBD). The Great Exhibition of 1851: A stepping stone for international art education history(s)? (Journal: TBD).

Kantawala, A., Black, R., Dranchak, J., Justice, S., Smith, T. (TBD). Mentoring in asynchronous online spaces: Conversations in a shifting paradigm. (Journal: TBD).

Kantawala, A. (TBD). Extraordinary in the ordinary: The storied lives of historical female art educators (Journal: TBD).