UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries Open Publishing has launched Arts, Culture and Development, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal about the role of arts and culture in development and social transformation.
The goals of the journal are twofold: to explore and share arts and cultural practices that focus on relationships, amplifying marginalized voices and fostering an impact that honors the lived experiences of people and communities; and to provide a space for dialogue about the work and ideas within this field, especially practices and conversations that may be isolated from one another.
“This journal creates a space — a global space — for new and diverse voices that define the myriad ways in which arts and culture matter in our daily lives.” said Ann Holt, assistant professor of art education at Penn State and co-editor-in-chief of the journal. Holt also serves as adviser of ArtsAction Group, an international community-based collective of arts educators, art therapists, artist teachers and educators committed to facilitating socially engaged arts and education initiatives with children and youth in conflict-affected environments.
“I’m thrilled that the journal is being supported by Open Publishing, since the goals toward access also reflect our journal’s core values in supporting global creative communities,” said Holt. “Penn State has long been a place where possibilities in arts and culture spark and thrive, and this journal is one example.”
“Arts, Culture and Development” is co-managed by Holt and Cindy Maguire, professor of art and design education and new media at Adelphi University, who co-founded ArtsAction Group with editorial board member Rob McCallum. Holt and Maguire also co-authored “Arts and Culture in Global Development Practice: Expression, Identity and Empowerment,” published through Routledge’s Rethinking Development series, the project that inspired this journal.
“We are especially excited about creating an open access journal that is inclusive of authors inside and outside of academia,” said Maguire. “By sharing the narratives and experiences of these artists, teachers, scholars and activists, we hope to further support, strengthen and extend the reach and impact of arts and culture in supporting communities and the broader field of development.”
The journal’s editorial board includes many experts in the field: Kim Berman, professor of visual art, University of Johannesburg, and executive director, Artist Proof Studio; Lorrie Blair, professor of art education and Fellow, School of Irish Studies, Concordia University; Ana Fernandez, painting faculty member, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Broward College Ecuador, Foothill College and CCA California College for the Arts; Refki Gollopeni, teaching artist and director for arts education, Fellbach-Haus Centre for Creative Education, Therandës-Suharekës (Kosovo), culture coordinator, Municipality of Therandës-Suharekës, and director, International Arts Colony, Theranda-Suhareka Animation Film Festival; Claire James, art therapist; Rob McCallum, founder and co-director, ArtsAction Group, and director, Creative Art Start; Natalia Pilato, art education professor, Old Dominion University; Désirée Rochat, community educator and transdisciplinary scholar; Razia I. Sadik, associate professor, Sayed Ahsan Ali and Sayed Maratib Ali School of Education, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan; Mohamed Sleiman Labat, founder, Motif Art Studio; and Janine Simpson, art therapist.
Arts, Culture and Development is currently accepting submissions of manuscripts and abstracts on a rolling basis.
Penn State Libraries Open Publishing, the University Libraries’ Open Access imprint, is a unit within the Research Informatics and Publishing Department. Open Publishing provides tools and support for Penn State–affiliated authors and groups to publish full-featured electronic scholarly journals, searchable annotated bibliographies and monographs using a variety of digital platforms. All publications are free to view online and download. Copyright is retained by the individual authors where possible, or by the journals or sponsoring entity. Almost all are licensed for use under a Creative Commons license.
For more information about the program, visit openpublishing.psu.edu or contact the Open Publishing team at [email protected].