1. The research paper is for you to learn more about how art can impact the place you community. For example, you can research how it impacts dog owners to have a pretty painted ceramic bowl of water available outside of a store, how having art in an office can impact overall mood for the day, how a happy piece of art on the wall at the doctor’s office can help a child feel more comfortable or safe, how art can help the needs of someone at a local shelter can be met.
2. First think of the part of your community you are interested in learning about and then think of ways art appears in the community. There are murals, community projects, desk art and wall art in offices, painted rocks in nature, etc.
3. The research paper will help you learn about community needs. Later on in the course you will create a piece of art for the community so think about where more art might be needed as you decide what to research! The research paper will help you learn a little more about a population (group or type of people – for example, a foster group home, patients in a doctor’s office, the nurses in a medical facility, volunteers at an animal shelter, customers of a local grocery store) that could benefit from more art.