Constructing, Performing, and Perceiving Identity(ies) in the Place of Online Art Education

Abstract

How young people construct, perform, play with, and perceive their own and others’ identity online influences their participation and engagement in online art education. Art educators have argued that identity performance in the art classroom, both online and offline, is an important aspect to creating critical dialog and resistance to cultural and gender stereotypes. As a result, considering the fluid, dynamic, and contextual qualities of identity(ies) online is a necessary aspect of online art education. To explore this, I present the outcome of imposed anonymity in a research study involving a group of teens and their teachers in an online art social network. Participants were required to perform new identities, which enabled or disabled them from participating in the online art curriculum.