2026 Theses Doctoral

Developmental Dynamics: How Independent Art Spaces Support Artistic Trajectories in Adult Artists

Garcia, Nathaniel

Independent art spaces expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic at a moment whenmuseums, universities, and commercial galleries closed or moved online, leaving limited opportunities for exhibition-based learning and public artistic exchange. Yet the field of art education has devoted relatively little attention to how independent and alternative spaces support adult artistic development, and exhibitions are rarely examined as developmental learning environments. This study addressed that gap by examining how artists experienced exhibiting at SPANTZO, an independent Lower East Side gallery that operated during the pandemic.

This qualitative, interpretive multi-case study drew on semi-structured interviews, exhibition documentation, and researcher field notes to understand how five artists made meaning through participation in SPANTZO exhibitions. Cross-case thematic analysis was guided by Kegan’s constructive-developmental lens in order to examine how art exhibition shaped identity, learning, and momentum. Findings showed that independent exhibitions within SPANTZO functioned as developmental environments for adult artists by providing relational trust, structural flexibility, public visibility, recognition, and continuation.