Title
Date of Graduation
5-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences
Department
Human Nutrition and Hospitality Innovation
Advisor/Mentor
Trudo, Sabrina
Committee Member/Reader
Garrison, Betsy
Committee Member/Second Reader
Buckley, Nancy
Abstract
Many colleges and universities offer students access to on-campus food pantries, yet very few students utilize these services despite reporting high rates of food insecurity. Considering the importance of a healthy diet on the developing minds of young adults, it is pertinent that colleges and universities find innovative ways to reach food insecure students. The purpose of this hybrid creative-research project was to creatively address commonly cited barriers of seeking food assistance (i.e., negative stigma, embarrassment, unknown location, awareness of resource, etc.) using public art. A mural was designed to encourage healthy eating behaviors and provide signage for the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry at the University of Arkansas. A sample of food pantry patrons (n=51) took a survey either before or after the mural’s installation to assess their personal beliefs and attitudes towards using the food pantry and eating a healthy diet. Results of this project suggest that public art may influence perceptions of food pantries, human nutrition, and personal dietary habits. While this study lays a fresh foundation for combating the physical and psychological barriers of food pantry usage, further investigations of the relationship between public art and nutrition are needed.
Keywords
mural, public art, nutrition, perception, food pantry
Citation
Hardaway, K. (2022). The Art of Nutrition. Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnhiuht/22
Included in
Art and Design Commons, International and Community Nutrition Commons, Psychology Commons