Spotlight on Research in the Arts: News from the a2ru / Ideas for Creative Exploration research cluster
As we celebrate the Spotlight on the Arts festival on campus, the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) will host a national conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This year’s conference theme is “Exploring Artistic Research” and marks the tenth anniversary of the organization. UGA plays a key role in a2ru leadership through service on the Executive Committee (Sonia Hirt, Dean of the College of Environment and Design) and Ground Works journal editorial board (Gerald Maa, Director of the Georgia Review).
The Willson Center will partner with Wesleyan University Press to celebrate the publication of Critique Is Creative in an event on November 4 at 12:30 p.m. The webinar, “The Critical Response Process in Action,” will feature co-authors Liz Lerman and John Borstel with some of the book’s contributors including Mark Callahan, Willson Center Associate Academic Director of Arts Research and Practice. The Willson Center hosted Lerman and Borstel for a weeklong residency in 2012, and our arts research community still benefits from the ripple effect of that visit. The book is the first in-depth study of the Critical Response Process, an inquiry-based methodology for giving and receiving creative feedback.
Ideas for Creative Exploration and the Idea Lab student organization will present two events during Spotlight on the Arts with a focus on new creative research and external funding. “Mini Grant Stories” (November 11 at 10 a.m.) will feature Idea Lab Mini Grant recipients and peer mentors in a reflective conversation about their projects. “Arts Funding Trends” (November 18 at 10 a.m.) will feature a field report by Graduate Assistants in Interdisciplinary Arts Research based on project grants recently awarded by Creative Capital, South Arts, 
and the National Endowment for the Arts. Both events will be held in the Main Art building room S160 and are open to the public.
Kudos to Professor Jenna Jambeck, who was recently named a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. Jambeck is part of the UGA “Arts+STEM Graduate Workshops” project team supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation in partnership with Ideas for Creative Exploration and the Center for Integrative Conservation Research. Upon receiving the MacArthur “Genius Grant,” Jambeck noted that “creativity has served as a source of strength and perseverance throughout my career.”