Justin Makemson
PhD - Indiana University
MS - Indiana University
BA - William Jewell College
"Dominant among the principles supporting the vitality of the arts seems to me that art possesses certain characteristics not replaceable by other activities of the human mind." -Rudolf Arnheim (1992)
Justin Makemson joined the Belmont teaching community in 2011 from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. While working on his doctorate degree in art education, Justin taught in Indiana University’s graduate and undergraduate art teacher education programs, and served as the early and advanced field experiences coordinator/supervisor. Prior to engaging a career in higher education, Justin taught art and psychology for eleven years in the public school systems of Indiana and Missouri. Justin also taught six years with the Achievers community-based arts enrichment program at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
Justin is currently working on his dissertation on how individual orientations and social forces intersect in the formation and maintenance of the artist’s sense of self. His dissertation is titled Artistic Daimon: Six Portraits of Post-secondary Artistic Identity Development. As a scholar, Justin is interested in neuroaesthetics and related research exploring connections between cognitive psychology and the perception/creation of imagery. His other research interests include outlining the potential of Geographic Information Systems technology within an art education curriculum, and in revisiting the principles underlying Empathy Theory.
As an artist, Justin is by training a printmaker and oil painter- however through teaching he has discovered a passion for numerous other forms and media, namely ceramics, stained glass, sculpture, and graphic design.