About Yen-Ju Lin
My Story
Growing up in Taiwan, my passion for art education began in childhood. I found joy in drawing and creating art, nurturing a deep desire to become an art educator. I strongly believed that this profession could facilitate the sharing of the love of art-making and self-expression. In my artistic endeavors, I strive to depict contemporary landscapes while weaving in the humanistic essence of Eastern cultural traditions.
My formal art education commenced with Chinese painting during high school, where the philosophy of achieving spiritual resonance through art profoundly influenced my perception and interpretation of nature. During my college years, I received extensive training in Western painting techniques and mediums. Every landscape in my work represents scenes that have captivated and inspired me, yet I never aim to replicate these scenes. My objective is to capture and convey the solace they bring, while fostering a renewed connection between humanity and the natural world.
I embarked my search in ways to make art education more meaningful in people's lives, first as a middle school preservice art teacher and then an museum educator. I ventured beyond my home country to gain insights into the diverse perspectives shaping modern art education. I contributed my time to esteemed art museums and volunteered at local art centers, observing how people engage with art beyond traditional school settings. Throughout this process, I came to understand that art is inherently subjective and deeply personal. I witnessed how differences could instill fear in people and how embracing diversity could foster unity.
As an educator, I see myself as a facilitator of skills, knowledge, and experience. I aim to cultivate critical awareness about what are the kind, just, and compassionate behaviors that students should show to their fellow learners by facilitating student-centered questions regarding their artistic creation in relation to their daily life experiences. It is my believe that what makes us as human beings powerful is never the ability to do harm, but the strength and will to connect with one another.
EDUCATION
2016
Doctor of Philosophy, Art Education
The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
Areas of Specialization: Digital Learning Design and Museum Education
Dissertation: Designing with Information and Communications Technologies for Event Potentials in an Art Museum Context
2010
Master of Arts Management (MAM) with concentration in Visual Arts
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Areas of Specialization: Museum Education and Community-Based Art Programs
2008
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art Education and Studio Art
National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
Concentration: Art Education (Grades 7-12) & Painting
PUBLICATIONS
Book
Keifer-Boyd, K., Knight, W.B., Pérez de Miles, A., Ehrlich, C.E., Lin, Y., Holt, A. (2023). Teaching and Assessing Social Justice Art Education: Power, Politics, and Possibilities. Routledge.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Lin, Y., Wei, Y, Hajesmaeili, E., Zúñiga, X., Bailey, I., Hicks, V., &and Sotomayor, L. C. II. (2021). Precarity in conversation. Visual Culture & Gender, 16. 41–51.
Motter, J., Lin, Y., Keifer-Boyd, K. (2020). WTF? Feminist pedagogy and 3D printing in a preservice virtual field experience. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 19(2), 95-114.
Motter, J., Jung, Y., Lewis, L., Bloom, A., & Lin, Y. (2012). Post Silence: Visible markers of collective rememberance, awareness, and action toward systemic change. Cultural Studies – Critical Methodologies, 12(4), 346-351.
Hsieh, C. K., Lin, Q. P., Huang, C. Y., Chang, C. Y., Lin, Y. & Hung, Y.P. (2013). Easy and Deep Media in Cultural Heritage Field—The Development of Mau-kung Ting Educational Media for the National Palace Museum, IJEME, 3(2). 26-34. https://doi.org/10.5815/ijeme.2013.02.05
Hsieh, C. K., Lin, Q. P., Lin, Y., Huang, C. Y., Chang, C. Y., & Hung, Y.P. (2010). Easy and deep media. International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science (IJMECS), 2(2), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2010.02.01
Peer-Reviewed Chapters
Lin, Y. (2022). Sacred monsters and mythical animals: Forms and patterns on ritual bronzes from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. In Hsieh, K., Cooper, Y., Lu, L. (Eds.), Teaching Chinese Arts & Culture: Content, Context and Pedagogy. 95–110. InSEA Publications.
Lin, Y. (2020). Critical dialogue and the re/making of pedagogic assemblage: Teaching with social media and feminist online pedagogy. In Knochel, A., Liao, C., Patton, R. (Eds.), Critical Digital Making. 10.3726/b17298
Carpenter, B. S., & Lin, Y. (2014). “Looking back, looking through, and looking beyond: Translating new media art education into virtual world pedagogy.” In M. Stokrocki (Ed.), Exploration in virtual worlds: New digital multi-media literacy investigations for art education (pp. xx-xx). . Reston, VA: The National Art Education Association.
Invited Chapter
Keifer-Boyd, K., Ehrlich, C., Knight, W., Lin, Y., Pérez de Miles, A., & Sotomayor, L. (2016). Curricular encounter with Linda Stein’s Holocaust heroes: Fierce females. In L. Stein (Ed.), Holocaust heroes: Fierce females (pp. 71-75). Philadelphia, PA: Old City Publishing.
Conference Proceeding
Hsieh, C. K., Lin, Q. P., Huang, C. Y., Chang, C. Y., Lin, Y., & Hung, Y.P. (2011). Easy and deep media in cultural heritage field: The development of Mao-kung Ting Educational Media for the National Palace Museum. 2011 Third International Workshop on Education Technology and Computer Science. Wuhhuan, Hubei China.