Active Members | Past Contributors

The following individuals are teachers and/or researchers in the arts at the Faculty of Education, Queen's University.

Stephen Elliott

steve.elliott@queensu.ca

Stephen Elliott is currently an Associate Professor of Art Education at the Faculty of Education. He has received degrees from Queen's University in Fine Art (BFA,1979) in Education (BEd, 1980. MEd, 1989) and Art Education from Concordia University (PhD, 1999). He " Major topics of investigation include art criticism, aesthetics, art critiques, and art history.

Aynne Johnston

aynne.johnston@queensu.ca

Aynne teaches Dramatic Arts Education at Queen's Faculty of Education and co-coordinates the Artist-in-Community Education program. A teacher for eleven years in Ontario schools, Aynne taught Drama and English at the secondary level. She also developed and taught elementary level drama and arts programs for several school boards. As well as teaching, Aynne worked in the wardrobe and communications department of the Stratford Festival and was head of research at a publishing house. At the Faculty of Education, Aynne has taught in various areas. Courses of instruction have included Dramatic Arts Education for the Elementary Years (CURR 358), Dramatic Arts Education for Intermediate-Secondary (CURR 311), Professional Theories and Practices (PROF 191), Critical Issues in Equity and Exceptionality (PROF 100), Drama in Education (FOCI 230), Artist in Society Education (FOCI 222) and developed and teaches the Artist in Society course (EDST 425) under the Artist-in-Community umbrella. Aynne completed her B.Ed degree in 1986 at Queen's Faculty of Education, graduating from the Artist-in-Community program. Her Master's thesis, entitled Breakthrough: The role of block in creative process investigated how professional artists remain creatively solvent. Interviews with four theatre artists reviewed early patterns of creative development, encounters with block or set-back and self-nourishing patterns practiced by the participants. In 2000, Aynne was a contributing editor to the drama chapters of the Claudia Cornett and Katharine Smithrim book Arts as Meaning Makers. Currently, Aynne is working on a children's book.

Rebecca Luce-Kapler

rebecca.luce-Kapler@queensu.ca

Rebecca Luce-Kapler holds the secondary language and literacy position at the Faculty of Education, Queen's University. She has been a writer for twenty-five years, working in freelance nonfiction, poetry and fiction. For this work, she received the Michener Medal for Excellence in the Fine Arts. In 2003, her first collection of poetry was published, The Gardens Where She Dreams. Her experience as a writer creates a strong underpinning for her research, which focuses on the relationship between form and writing. She received three Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants (including a doctoral fellowship) and an INE grant to investigate forms and processes of writing and their influence on teaching and learning. Her book Writing With, Through, and Beyond the Text: An Ecology of Writing develops several key concepts about writing processes and pedagogy. Her most recent research in this area investigates the influence of computer technology on writing, specifically the use of e-literature to develop digital literacy.

Larry O'Farrell

ofarrell@queensu.ca

Larry O' Farrell is Professor and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning at the Faculty of Education, Queen's University where he educates drama teachers and teaches in the graduate program. He publishes extensively and presents at many national and international conferences.  He led major curriculum development initiatives for the Ministry of Education in the province of Ontario and served on panels assessing teacher education programs for the Ontario College of Teachers.  For several years, he was Coordinator of Continuing Teacher Education at Queen’s University. His work in distance education included extensive experience in the development of e-learning for teachers and e-training for industrial application.  Larry served two terms as President of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association (IDEA).  In this capacity, he led a multi-national team of elected officers from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres to support the work of drama/theatre teachers and artist-educators around the globe.  He is currently Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Network for Arts and Learning and a member of the international advisory board of the World Alliance for Arts Education.  As a member of the international advisory committee and General Rapporteur for the 2nd UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education (Seoul, Korea, 2010) he was instrumental in preparing The Seoul Agenda:  Goals for the Development of Arts Education.  In October, 2010, the Executive Board of UNESCO unanimously adopted a resolution inviting Member States to implement the action items contained in The Seoul Agenda.

Katharine Smithrim

katharine.smithrim@queensu.ca

Katharine Smithrim is a Professor of Education at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Katharine teachers courses in elementary music education and the spiritual dimensions of teaching and learning in the B Ed program, and the qualitative research and Arts related courses in the graduate school. Her research interests have included free musical play in early childhood, the developmental and social aspects of singing, and the relationship between arts experience and academic achievement. Currently, these research interests have come together in a research program on rhythm in teaching and learning. Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Waldorf Eurhythmy are the supporting foci of her own professional development.

She has worked extensively in music and movement with children of all ages, parents and teachers, in private programs, schools, community colleges, and universities. Children's literature, drama, the visual arts and movement are important components of all her work. Along with Bob McGrath of Sesame Street, she has made two commercial recordings, The Baby Record and Songs and Games for Toddlers, the latter a Juno nominee and now a Golden Book Video.

Angela Solar

solara@queensu.ca

Angela is a practicing artist and arts educator who has been working in the arts and education fields for over 20 years. A graduate of the Queen's University Bachelor of Fine Arts Program, Angela studied printmaking and continues to work in this medium, specializing in water-based, UV-cured silkscreen printmaking. Her main annual exhibition is a mid-October show and sale in her home studio, which also features the work of several other local artists. Angela holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Queen's Faculty of Education and is a graduate of the Artist-in-Community Education Program. She began her career teaching Visual Art and English at the Secondary School level and currently, she teaches Visual Art Curriculum in the Primary-Junior Program at the Faculty of Education, Queen's University. In addition, Angela teaches a course in Arts Based Education in the Elementary School.  An active member of The Studio committee, Angela coordinates annual visual art exhibitions. This involves installation of the artwork, publicity and coordinating gallery attendants. She also hosts the visual artists who participate in our Artist-Educators in residence program and looks after general maintenance of the Studio space. Angela lives and works in Kingston, Ontario.

Rena Upitis

rena.upitis@queensu.ca
www.renaupitis.com

Dr. Rena Upitis is a Professor of Arts Education at Queen’s University, and a former Dean of Education at Queen's. She is also President and CEO of Wintergreen Studios, an education and retreat centre founded in 2007. Rena served a six-year term as National Research Co-director of Learning Through the Arts, a multi-year project that brings artists to the classrooms of over 100,000 Canadian students. Her current research explores the ways in which school architecture both constrains and opens up possibilities for learning, described in her recent book, Raising a School. Another research interest involves exploring how web-based technologies can support student-centered learning, especially in the arts.

 Rena teaches courses on music education, social cognition, and research methodology, and supervises a number of graduate students working in arts and arts related fields.  She has worked as a music teacher in Canada and the United States and has been a studio teacher of piano and music theory for over 35 years.  Rena publishes widely in academic and professional journals. Two of her books, This Too is Music (Heinemann) and Can I Play You My Song?(Heinemann) focus on teaching music in elementary classroom. Another co-authored book, Creative Mathematics (Routledge) explores ways of approaching mathematics through the arts. Her various research projects have explored transformation through the arts and the use of electronic games in mathematics and science education. Rena’s research has been recognized by several awards, including the George C. Metcalf Research Award (2002) and the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies Publication Award (2005).

Julia Brook

julia.brook@gmail.com

Julia Brook is PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at Queen's University. She has completed a Master's of Arts in Music with a thesis in piano pedagogy (University of Ottawa) and a Master's of Music degree in Piano Performance (Brandon University). She has also completed a Bachelor's degree in Education (Brandon University). Julia has several years piano teaching experience, providing instruction to students of all ages. She has been an elementary music specialist for Brandon School Division in Brandon, Manitoba. Julia has remained active as a soloist and accompanist and has performed in both eastern and western Canada as well as the United States. Her current research interests include examining the process of applying arts-based instruction in the elementary classroom.

Scott Hughes

scott.hughes@queensu.ca

Scott Hughes is a PhD student in Curriculum Studies at Queen's University, and holds a M.Ed. from UBC. He is curious about teacher pedagogy, arts education, and supporting engaged learners in the early primary classroom. He has worked in public education for 17 years, 14 as a classroom teacher and 3 as a special education assistant. In his work as a teacher, Scott has co-created two large-scale musical theatre productions and video documentaries for children, titled Dreams(2000) and The Angel Diaries(2003), and has recorded a children's CD titled Happiness Runs(2008). Scott also works as a professional harpist. Selected credits include The Vancouver Opera Orchestra, The Calgary Philharmonic, The Vancouver Playhouse, and Winter Harp.

Holly Ogden

holly.ogden@queensu.ca

Holly is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at Queen's University. She completed a Master of Education with a thesis exploring the long term significance of elementary school musical theatre (Queen's University). Her current research interests include how elementary teachers pursue personal learning interests across different career stages and the effects of personal learning on both elementary teachers and their students. She began her career teaching grades one through six with the Limestone District School Board and currently she teaches Music Curriculum in the Primary-Junior Program at the Faculty of Education.  An active member of The Studio committee, Holly is a coordinator of the Open Studio.

Meagan Troop

6mact@queensu.ca

Meagan Troop is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education at Queen's University. She recently completed her master's degree, with a thesis topic based on the impact of artistic experiences on identity development in a post-secondary musical theatre context (Queen's University). Meagan graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from The University of Western Ontario. Her teaching experience began at the National Ballet School in Toronto, where she led the music program (grades 6-12) for the professional ballet/ academic students. Most recently, she has been a studio and academic teacher at St. Lawrence College as part of a three-year diploma program in the performance arts. Meagan maintains an active voice and piano studio and sings as part of the Women's Cantabile Choir in Kingston.

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