Provoked by Art

A Retrospective

Authors

  • Ardra Cole Mount Saint Vincent University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18432/ari29899

Keywords:

serendipity, accessibility, arts-informed research, installation art, Kienholz

Abstract

Abstract: In 1996, while at a conference in New York City, I happened upon an art exhibit that changed the trajectory of my academic career. In this article, I recount part of my experience of engaging with the installation art of Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz and its transformative impact on my scholarly work. I reflect on some of the ways in which that chance moment unleashed my latent frustrations about the hegemonic conventions of academic research and inspired a path of possibilities for how social science research could be more meaningful in the lives of individuals and communities. I conclude with a note on the importance of open-mindedness, imagination, and a respect for serendipity in inspiring creativity, informing and, possibly, transforming research.

Author Biography

Ardra Cole , Mount Saint Vincent University

Dr. Ardra L. Cole is Professor, Lifelong Learning at Mount Saint Vincent University. Creative research methodologies continue to be the foundation of her teaching, research, and writing. Ardra’s current work focuses on the role of dogs in the lives of older adults. Her favourite way of spending time is walking in nature, with dogs running free and camera in hand.

Chromosome Territories, 2022 (P. Sameshima). Artwork: wire and beads arranged in a circular manner against winter trees with blue sky in the background.

Downloads

Published

2025-10-26

How to Cite

Cole , A. (2025). Provoked by Art: A Retrospective. Art/Research/International:/A/Transdisciplinary/Journal, 9(2), 404–417. https://doi.org/10.18432/ari29899

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2025): Artful Futures: Reflections on the Evolution of the Arts in Research

Section

ARI Special Issue

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Ardra Cole

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with Art/Research International agree to the following terms:

a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication and the right to sublicense the Contribution, in the form in which it is published by the journal, to others under the terms and conditions of the of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) that allows others to download the work and share the work with others with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal, but they cannot change the work in any way or use any part of the work commercially.

b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive public distribution and display of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

d. Authors wishing to include items (such as images or other media, or any creative works of others whether previously published or not) must contact the original copyright holder to obtain explicit permission to publish these items in Art/Research International. Writing permission should include: the title(s) of any copyrighted work, original place of publication if applicable, and an acknowledgement of having read Art/Research International's copyright notice. Authors are responsible for obtaining this permission and keeping it in their own records for later verification.