Design for STEAM: Creating Participatory Art with Purpose

Innovation is simultaneously reflected in the variety and diversity of art. Over the past century, art forms have progressed along a continuum from static to dynamic, and then to interactive and participatory. The therapeutic value of creating and engaging in all of these art forms has also been identified. Furthermore, educators have recognized the profound value of art and design within the context of scientific and technical learning, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) has emerged as an educational philosophy with a strong base of support. This paper defines and articulates participatory elements of STEAM projects, and provides guidance for how to design art installations for learning that are fully participatory. To do this, we 1) present emerging social and organizational models that align with STEAM, and then 2) develop a design framework for creating new participatory art that meets the goals of STEAM learning