Why Arts? is a video podcast series created by Nanvi Jhala—educator and designer, and a recent graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Drawing from her experience in Reggio-inspired schools, public education systems, and democratic learning spaces, Nanvi explores how the arts shape the way we learn, relate, and imagine. Through conversations with educators, artists, and thinkers, the series looks at arts beyond it's final products to the processes of creating, questioning, and making that nurture meaningful learning.
Episode 31 of Why Arts? — Understanding Arts, Psychology and Learning with Ellen Winner
I am in conversation with Ellen Winner, Senior Research Associate at Project Zero and Professor Emerita of Psychology at Boston College, where she directed the Arts and Mind Lab. Ellen has been a Project Zero researcher since 1973 and has spent decades exploring the psychology and education of the arts.
Her work has contributed to major research projects at Project Zero, including Arts PROPEL, the Reviewing Education and the Arts Project (REAP), and Studio Thinking. She is also the author of How Art Works: A Psychological Exploration and co-author of the Studio Thinking series.
In our conversation, we explore how art can hold multiple perspectives and what research can tell us about the ways children experience, understand, and make art.
We talk about what happens when children are given the opportunity to make, rather than simply learn about art, and the kinds of thinking that emerge through artistic practice. We also discuss the relationship between research and arts education, and what studying the arts can help us understand about how children learn and develop.
Episode 31 — listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio.
#ArtsEducation #ArtAndLearning #StudioThinking #ArtsResearch #ChildrensLearning
24 Aug 2026
Episode 30 of Why Arts? — Slow Looking and the Art of Thinking with Shari Tishman
I am in conversation with Shari Tishman, Senior Research Associate and Principal Investigator at Project Zero. Her research focuses on the development and teaching of thinking, close observation, learning through the arts, and the role of slow looking in learning.
Shari is also the co-director of The Open Canopy and co-creator and co-host of the Thinkability podcast. Her work at Project Zero has included Artful Thinking, Visible Thinking, Agency by Design, Arts as Civic Commons, and The Open Canopy.
In our conversation, we talk about the beginnings of Artful Thinking and the development of the Artful Thinking Palette and Artworks for school — and how looking at art can become a way to develop and practice thinking.
We explore slow looking and why taking time to really observe something can change what we notice, the questions we ask, and the connections we make. We also talk about what close observation can offer children and why slowing down can be such an important part of learning.
A conversation about art, observation, thinking, and what becomes possible when we take the time to really look.
Episode 30 — listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio.
#SlowLooking #ArtfulThinking #Thinking #ArtsEducation #LearningThroughArt #WhyArts
12 Aug 2026
Episode 29 of Why Arts? — Making Creativity a Practice with Dr. Cyndi Burnett
I am in conversation with Dr. Cyndi Burnett, founder of Creativity and Education, where she works with educators and school leaders to bring creative thinking into everyday classroom practice. She is also the host of Fueling Creativity in Education, a podcast exploring how creativity can become a meaningful part of teaching and learning.
With a background in performing arts, creativity research, higher education, and curriculum, Cyndi brings together different perspectives on what it means to teach and develop creative thinking. She is also the co-creator of Createtubity and co-editor and co-author of several books on creativity and education.
In our conversation, we explore what Cyndi has learned from her experiences as a performing artist and how those experiences shaped the way she thinks about creativity and learning. We talk about the science of creativity, what research tells us about creative thinking, and why creativity is not simply an innate talent.
We also discuss how creative thinking can be taught, practiced, and strengthened, and how educators can build everyday habits and classroom environments that help children develop a creative mindset.
Episode 29 — listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio.
📲 Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyarts_wnanvi?igsh=aHRkYWhuMHB2MWVz&utm_source=qr
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