International Journal of Education & the Arts Editors Christopher M. Schulte University of Arkansas Kristine Sunday Old Dominion University Eeva Anttila University of the Arts Helsinki Mei-Chun Lin National University of Tainan Tawnya Smith Boston University http://www.ijea.org/ ISSN: 1529-8094 Volume 21 Number 21 July 28, 2020 Socially Engaged Art Education: Exploring Issues of Homelessness in an Elementary Art Classroom Sheng Kuan Chung University of Houston, USA Dan Li Michigan State University, USA Citation: Chung S. K., & Li, D. (2020). Socially engaged art education: Exploring issues of homelessness in an elementary art classroom. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 21(21). Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea21n21. Abstract Over the past two decades, the field of art education has emphasized visual culture art education for developing visual literacy. More recently, social justice art education has come into focus since there have been many unresolved social justice issues in American society. Underprivileged groups such as persons experiencing homelessness have not yet gained public attention, nor have they evoked from the government a true sense of urgency. Homelessness often occurs at the intersection of unemployment, poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. The impact on families, especially young children, can be profound. The essential part of social justice art education is to provide a safe learning place for students to voice unjust