Artist Scholar: Reflections on Writing and Research is part history, introduction and discussion for artists and designers entering, graduating and employed by the contemporary art academy in the United States. The evolution of art education in the university continues to expand in the twenty-first century as the variables of craft, skill, technique, theory, history and criticism shift and expand as the perspective of arts-based research is introduced into this professionalized environment. Given this context: what can MFA students do to improve their understanding of writing and research without sacrificing their commitment to their studio art process?

Through a series of essays, the text argues for better writing at the MFA level with the purpose of becoming better artists. By contextualizing art practice in the university and providing a foundation for future artist scholarship, it serves as an invitation to artist scholars to push their work further and develop the confidence to situate their art in the university context.