Twelfth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This study addresses the literature gap surrounding the arts’ value in developing creative and design thinking. In addition, the research aimed to encourage students to take art courses, universities to support them in doing so, and researchers to continue exploring the effects of arts-based cross-departmental courses on students’ development of 21st-century skills through mediums such as fine arts, culinary arts, and theatre arts. This study’s research design was a qualitative case study using a human-centered approach informed by constructivist theory and design thinking methodologies. Constructivist theory shaped data collection, as the goal of observation and interviewing was to explore the research problem from the perspective of participants directly subjected to the phenomenon and who reflected on the impact that interdisciplinary art education had on their growth and development. A human-centered research approach focused on the community as a whole and generated meaning from lived experience. The researcher examines the implications of university arts courses offered to non-art majors by posing actionable recommendations for university administrators, curriculum designers, faculty, and students. Implementing these recommendations by liberal arts universities will lead to more well-rounded graduates equipped with the 21st-century skills needed for success. The findings indicate that participants benefited from engaging in artistic expression. This triangulated data collection method created a way to analyze the data meaningfully. Positive outcomes, such as newfound confidence, a sense of community, and problem-solving skills were a few of the takeaways from participants. Each participant found value in creating art, working with others, and reflecting.