Who is American Today? was started through collaboration between a high school educator working a district of significant immigrant population and a higher education researcher who is an immigrant herself.
We hope to foster a critical investigation asking high school students to use digital storytelling to reflect about their experiences in America, therefore touching upon polarizing issues such as race, immigration, social opportunity and the American dream.
Flavia Bastos, Phd.
Flávia Bastos is devoted to examining the possibilities of empowering communities through art. Her research and scholarship are indebted to her Brazilian roots, experiences with social and cultural diversity, and the educational philosophy of Paulo Freire. Thus her research and teaching are rooted in community, and fueled by progressive education ideas that honor creative potential and celebrate the talents of all people.
Flávia is Distinguished Research Professor in the Arts and Humanities at the University of Cincinnati. Her leadership roles include Associate Dean of the Graduate College, past chairperson for the Council of Policy Studies in Art Education, and formerly Director of the Higher Education Division of the National Art Education Association.
She has received the Ziegefeld Award of the International Society for Education through Art as well as the Mary J. House Award of the National Art Education Association Women’s Caucus, and several teaching, research, and equity and inclusion awards.
Contact Flávia via email at flavia.bastos@uc.edu.
James Rees, MFA.
A widely-known champion of the arts, James Rees is a passionate advocate for art education that balances theory, research, and practice. Comes to working as a consultant with Davis Art Publishing after more than 30 years of teaching experience. Teaching High School, undergraduate and graduate courses in art and art education at Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, and Westminster College.
James currently serves as Commissioner At-Large Representative for the NAEA Research Commission. He has served as Vice president of the National Art Education Association and has also serving as the Pacific Region Secondary division director. He is a Fulbright Memorial Scholar, a Teachers Institute of Contemporary Art Fellow, and an Art21 Education Fellow. James has served as reviewer for the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. He currently serves on the board of Utah Cultural Alliance providing a voice for the cultural industries and to champion the arts to elected officials.
James advocates for the arts nationally and locally to empower students and their teachers in and through the arts. His awards include the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Award for Excellence in Arts Education (twice), Utah Art Educator of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award from the UAEA, National Secondary Art Educator (NAEA), Award for Excellence in Research by The international Society for Education Through Art (InSea) and National Art Education Secondary Educator of the Year (NAEA).
Contact James via email at james@jamesreesart.com.
Thank you to the University of Cincinnati for continued support.
