As a teacher, researcher, and art pedagogue, my primary aim is to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the unknown in my students. I aspire to cultivate active, confident knowledge producers who can adapt to a changing world.
Winnie Chandler Distinguished Professor of Art
As a teacher, researcher, and art pedagogue, my primary aim is to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the unknown in my students. I aspire to cultivate active, confident knowledge producers who can adapt to a changing world. My goal is to support and challenge students, guiding their unique learning journeys while continuously developing my own understanding as an educator.
What interests me most about my field and research is the ability to blend critical pedagogy, arts-based practices, and social justice issues. This approach keeps me engaged with evolving ideas and allows me to address relevant issues through art education, encouraging students to think critically and participate actively in art creation and pedagogy.
I aim to create a space where students can explore ideas, reflect on their experiences, and see themselves as part of an evolving dialogue. I believe learning is a deeply individual process, so I support and challenge them to develop their unique voices, understanding that each student’s journey is distinct. Ultimately, I want them to see that teaching and learning are never neutral processes but ones that require continuous self-reflection and ethical consideration.
I hope that students leave my classes with a heightened sense of curiosity, confidence in asking critical questions, and an appreciation for the unknown. My goal is for them to become active, participatory knowledge producers who feel empowered to redefine their perspectives in a constantly changing world.
I am originally from Helsinki, Finland. I taught high school and middle school art in Finland for seven years before moving to higher education. I also participated in writing the current curriculum for the Finnish school system for the visual art education. My family includes my husband and four children.
Feel free to check out my website to learn about my publications, art practice, books, and other scholarly engagements:.
Mira Kallio-Tavin (Doctor or Arts) is Distinguished Professor of Art in the Lamar Dodd School of Art, University of Georgia. Dr. Kallio-Tavin focuses her research on critical artistic and arts-based research in questions of disability studies, decolonialism, immigration, non-human agency, and critical animal studies. Her artistic practice takes forms mostly through video and painting. She is currently co-coordinating a large experiment with international researcher/artist/educators on ‘composting’ Speculative Spaces for Artistic Methodologies (SSAM). Dr. Kallio-Tavin serves as Vice President of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) and is the Co-Chair of the Art Education Research Institute (AERI). She is the Associate Editor-elect of the Studies in Art Education. She is the founder of the International Disability Studies, Arts and Education (iDSAE) network, and is the author and editor of six books and over 90 articles.