Negotiating the Professional and Artistic Identity of Art Teachers: Teacher
Training, Academic Environment, and Artistic Interaction

Evmorfia Kipouropoulou

Abstract: The present research aims at the construction and negotiation of the professional and artistic identity of an artist, the balance or conflict between their artistic identity with that of the art teacher, as it is constructed through the discourse of students of the School of Fine Arts, Florina, Greece. The methodological approach of Discourse Analysis is used for the analysis of the research data. The issues involved in the construction of the artistic and professional identity of the art teachers are discussed, as they are formed within an academic framework, oriented not only toward the development of artistic creativity, but also toward the artists’ professional development as teachers. Artist teachers of art classes seem to constantly negotiate their artistic and professional identity. According to research, the identity of artist teachers is presented as multiple and conflicted, since it is defined by various cultural elements such as art studies at university level, or lack thereof, self-taught art practice, relation to the profession of school teacher and relations to the market in general. Many artists, while initially choosing academic studies, move on to teacher training as well, in order to work in education — dealing with the profession as a means of livelihood. However, a conflict later emerges between their artistic and professional identity. The study presents the opportunity for an investigation of these issues, while formulating questions for further research.

Key words: higher education, professional identity, fine arts, artist teacher