Artist-Scholar presents a broad foundation for inquiry in the arts and re-defines how artists may approach research in the academic context. Research is a loaded concept because the history of the term is not associated with the field of art. Despite this history, many art based M.F.A. and Ph.D. programs use the term to describe and categorize the type of work their graduate level artist-students and faculty are completing.

However, this text proposes the terms of scholarship, understanding, and writing as much wider and accepting concepts for the diverse practices of artists in and out of the university. The text utilizes the artwork, practices, and writings of modern and contemporary artists including: Banksy, John Baldessari, Hans Hofmann, Jeff Koons, Shepard Fairey, amongst others to demonstrate the powerful avenues for exploring artistic scholarship in the 21st century.