Research is a concept that is not typically associated with the field of art. However, more and more art-based MFA and PhD programs use the term to describe and categorize the work of graduate-level artist-students and faculty. G. James Daichendt proposes a different way of characterizing the professional artist in the academy.

Artist-Scholar presents a broad foundation for inquiry in the arts and redefines how artists may approach research in the academic context. The author proposes that the concepts of scholarship, understanding, and writing better define the diverse practices of artists in and out of the academy. Drawing on the artwork, practices, and writings of modern and contemporary artists, including Banksy, Jeff Koons, and Shepard Fairey, among others, this book brings the professional artist into the scholarship and research dialogue at long last.