This project explores the intersection of place based art education and visual culture art education. Both VCAE and PBAE view art education as a politically potent discipline. Each seeks to expand the scope of art education to better suit certain ideals. However, VCAE and PBAE prioritize different ideals, leading to divergent approaches. This research suggests that we focus on the overlaps between these two paradigms, rather than the divergences. An integrated approach may serve to strengthen art education, student empowerment, and environmental sustainability. This research is manifested in an ongoing participatory art project called Picturing Your Locale. Participants are asked to photographically respond to 30 prompts related to their local environment. Some of the images will be specifically local, some will be specifically personal, and still others will reflect mainstream visual culture. The aim of the project is to get people thinking about their local landscape. What do you notice on a daily basis? What is more obscure? How does the visual stimuli we pick out, effect our interpretation of the local culture?
