Rate My Professor Brad Olson

Brad Olson serves as Assistant Professor of Art Education in the Department of Art + Design at Eastern Illinois University, where he also holds the position of Graduate Coordinator for the MA in Art Education program. He earned his PhD in Art Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2015. His doctoral dissertation, titled "DigArts: A Case Study of Digital Visual Culture, Teenagers, and Tensions in the Third Space," examined how teenagers formed affinity groups in a de-structured physical learning environment. Prior to his appointment at Eastern Illinois University, Olson worked with learners across all age groups, from preschool to adulthood, in various settings including public schools, museums, and community arts programs. As an artist-educator, he brings extensive experience in fostering creative development in diverse educational contexts.

Olson's research specializations include visual culture, new and social media, community-based art learning, playful pedagogy, and the integration of emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence into art education. He actively shares his findings with educators, focusing on practical applications for art classrooms. In his artistic practice, Olson draws inspiration from remote places and people, natural histories, folklore, and music. His work explores intersections between popular culture and fine art, digital and traditional media, and natural and technical worlds. This includes creating gig posters, album art, music videos, and other media for local musicians using techniques like illustration, photography, digital manipulation, collage, and animation. In recognition of his exemplary professional performance, service, and leadership, Olson was named the 2022 Higher Education Art Educator of the Year by the Illinois Art Education Association. A recent key publication is "Investigating how AI tools mirror and mimic visual art," published in 2025. Olson has contributed to professional development through presentations on topics such as digital visual culture and animation tools in art education.