Art (integration) is for everyone.
Engineering. Music. Chemistry. History. Math. Dance. Psychology. Marketing. Medicine. Faculty from all disciplines are invited to explore how integrating art into their course can improve engagement and learning outcomes for their students.
The ArtInfuse Teaching Program aims to provide faculty with the guidance and tools to refresh a course they're planning to teach in spring 2027. Selected participants will join a small, interdisciplinary cohort to explore ways to integrate arts into their teaching, including assignments, lessons, or other course components. The program is led by the Stanley Museum of Art and the Center for Teaching and consists of:
- Two-to-three interdisciplinary cohort meetings in the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semester.
- One-on-one support from experts in the Stanley Museum of Art and the Center for Teaching.
- The opportunity to apply for $500 in funding to assess the impact of their course in summer 2027.
- The option to share the results of their work during the ArtInfuse Teaching Program Showcase in fall 2027.
Applications for the program are due by May 13. Faculty in all tracks are eligible to apply. Selected participants will be notified by late May and the program will begin at the start of the fall 2026 semester.
ArtInfuse Teaching Strategies
Program participants will collaborate to explore innovative solutions to refresh a course by using art, such as:
- How might looking at art jumpstart new ideas for students in your course?
- How do artistic endeavors relate to advancements in science, philosophy, literature, or medicine?
- How could the museum-based study of “close looking” help your students to better notice the detailed information in schematic?
- How might you benefit from cross-pollination with other instructors across campus?
No previous experience with integrating art into your course is required!
Past Projects and Outcomes
ArtInfuse has helped instructors from across disciplines develop impactful, award-winning courses that are helping advance excellence in teaching and learning at Iowa.
Kellsie Busho
Integrating an art museum visit into audiology clinical education to positively impact students' clinical skills. Art-based learning provides an alternative pathway to develop critical observational, empathetic, and communicative skills, which are crucial for effective clinical practice. Sessions in the art museum had positive effects on students in clinical settings that emphasize hearing loss and perception of sound.
Beatrice Mkenda
Incorporating art museums into the Exploring East African Languages and Culture course enriches students’ learning by linking the Swahili language to its cultural, historical, and artistic roots. Through engagement with visual art that reflects Swahili-speaking communities, students gain deeper insight into identity and tradition, making learning more interactive and meaningful. This approach supports both academic development and personal growth.
Buffy Quintero
UI Art Education students take beginning steps in guiding K-12 students at “looking closely” at works of art in a way that allows for open-ended and authentic responses, but also meets teaching objectives as established with the cooperating teacher.
Alexandra Nica
Most students reported that the visual exercises from the museum visit helped them visualize graphs better, through focusing on details. At the same time, most students also mentioned how close looking at artwork helped them then visualize the big picture of a Macroeconomics graph. Many students also reported that the museum visit helped them feel less overwhelmed when looking at complex graphs, which accomplished the switch from anxious brain to curious brain.
In addition, most students remarked how valuable they found the discussion portion of the art exercises at the museum, because it opened their minds to different peer perspectives. Many students mentioned how this project helped them think outside the box and increased their confidence in interpreting complex Macroeconomics graphs.
ArtInfuse in Scholarly Forums
- Kellsie Busho, Beatrice Mkenda, Alexandra Nica, Buffy Quintero, Anna L. Bostwick Flaming, and Kimberly Datchuk, “A Curator, an Educational Developer, and Five Faculty Walk into a Museum – What Happened Next,” Association of Academic Museums and Galleries 2026.
Anna L. Bostwick Flaming and Kimberly Datchuk, “Addressing Courses Bottlenecks Across the Curriculum with Art-and Museum-infused Faculty Development,” International Consortium of Educational Developers, 2026.
- Buffy Quintero and Kimberly Datchuk, "Slow Looking": Engage Your Students When Looking at Works of Art!” at Art Educators of Iowa Annual Conference, October 10, 2025.
- Anna L. Bostwick Flaming and Kimberly Datchuk, “Making Art Work: Addressing Course Bottlenecks Across the Curriculum,” POD Network 2025.
- Kimberly Datchuk and Anna L. Bostwick Flaming, “Real Objects, Real Connections,” Iowa Museum Association, October 21, 2020.