Rate My Professor Kristi Oliver

Kristi Oliver, Ph.D., serves as Adjunct Associate Professor in the University of Florida's Online Master's in Art Education Program. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Lesley University, focusing her dissertation research on the perspectives of high school photography teachers regarding visual literacy. With over 15 years of teaching experience in high school and university settings, Oliver currently works as the professional development manager for Davis Publications in Worcester, Massachusetts, a company committed to supporting art educators since 1901. She has held leadership roles including President of the Massachusetts Art Education Association, an affiliate of the National Art Education Association, and currently serves on the NAEA Research Commission. Oliver edits the NAEA publication Translations, which bridges research and practice for art educators, and directs the Art All-State Massachusetts program, bringing together professional artists and high school juniors for collaborative art-making experiences. As a practicing studio artist, her artwork has been exhibited in galleries and featured in publications such as Developing a Visually Reflective Practice: A Model for Professional Self-Study, The Little Book of Books, and Well Wed Magazine.

Oliver's research specializations and academic interests include visual literacy, 21st-century art education, contemporary photography, slow pedagogy, contemplative practice, and the creative process. Her scholarly work has been published in the International Journal of Education Through Art and Dev Sanskriti: Interdisciplinary International Journal, and featured in books including Critical Digital Making and Revolutionizing Arts Education in K-12 Classrooms through Technological Integration. Key publications comprise "Tapestries of Teaching: Weaving Together our Roles as Artists, Teachers, and Researchers" (2020), "Drawing out the soul: Contemporary arts integration" (International Journal of Education Through Art, 2019), "iPhoneography in the Secondary Classroom: Using Social Media to Enhance Visual Communication" (2018), and "Training of the Aesthetic Being: Connecting Sri Aurobindo’s Ideas of the Visual in Education Across Cultures" (2017). She has served as contributing editor for The Visual Experience 4th edition and various School Arts Collections. Oliver has presented at conferences such as the International Visual Literacy Conference, InSEA World Congress, AERA Annual Meeting, International Transformative Learning Conference, and NAEA conventions. Major awards include the 2020 NAEA Eastern Region Award, Massachusetts Art Educator of the Year, Secondary Art Educator of the Year, and Outstanding Arts Advocate in Art Education by Arts|Learning, a Kennedy Center Affiliate.