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Abstract
Guided by and grounded in Nodding's (1984) ethics of care theory, this inquiry explored how caring relationships are nurtured between young learners and families through artmaking in an after-school art club led by local artists. Nine families, including parents, siblings, and young learners ages four and five, and I, a veteran art educator turned early childhood school director, employed an after-school art club I started, guided by three local artists from our community. The Friday Art Club (FAC) was designed to understand more fully how collaborative artmaking can nurture caring relationships among adults and children. Each of the eight FAC sessions aimed to bring children and families together around artmaking to encourage creativity and caring practices such as dialogue, receptivity, and engrossment.
Each FAC session was documented in its entirety using video ethnography methods. Data for the study included four video-cued interviews conducted with parent participants and field notes in the form of video footage. This data was then analyzed by employing reflexive thematic analysis as outlined by Braun & Clarke (2022), which was a non-linear process that involved many layers of "systematic processes of data coding to develop themes" (p. 4). The analysis led to a rich understanding of the patterns and situated moments of participant experience. The production of the themes, underpinned by ethics of care theory, led to the three main findings: Artmaking as a medium for engrossed and situated care, Strengthening circles and chains of care through artmaking, and Art as a tangible artifact for confirmations of care. Based on the findings, this research inquiry concludes that art is uniquely situated to nurture critical concepts of care. By integrating artmaking with care ethics and approaching artmaking experiences through a lens of care, spaces can be created where relationships flourish, nurturing people of all ages in significant and lasting ways and expanding the ripple effect of care outward.
Each FAC session was documented in its entirety using video ethnography methods. Data for the study included four video-cued interviews conducted with parent participants and field notes in the form of video footage. This data was then analyzed by employing reflexive thematic analysis as outlined by Braun & Clarke (2022), which was a non-linear process that involved many layers of "systematic processes of data coding to develop themes" (p. 4). The analysis led to a rich understanding of the patterns and situated moments of participant experience. The production of the themes, underpinned by ethics of care theory, led to the three main findings: Artmaking as a medium for engrossed and situated care, Strengthening circles and chains of care through artmaking, and Art as a tangible artifact for confirmations of care. Based on the findings, this research inquiry concludes that art is uniquely situated to nurture critical concepts of care. By integrating artmaking with care ethics and approaching artmaking experiences through a lens of care, spaces can be created where relationships flourish, nurturing people of all ages in significant and lasting ways and expanding the ripple effect of care outward.