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'New directions for adult and continuing education', published quarterly, is part of the Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series. This issue, entitled 'Artistic ways of knowing', is edited by Randee Lipson Lawrence and demystifies the experience of art making and makes a strong case for the arts as an integral part of adult education. This volume challenges the dominant paradigm of how knowledge is typically constructed and shared in adult education settings by focusing on how adult educators can expand learning opportunities and experiences for their learners. The articles are: 'Knowledge construction as contested terrain: adult learning through artistic expression' by Randee Lipson Lawrence (p. 3-11), in this chapter artistic forms of expression and their implications for adult education are discussed; 'Music works: music for adult English language learners' by Kristin Lems (p. 13-21), in this chapter the unique magic of music in the English language learning classroom is explored, with emphasis on research, learning objectives, and rewards that come from using music regularly; 'Lessons from the Anhinga trail: poetry and teaching' by Anne McCrary Sullivan (p. 23-32), in this chapter the potential of poetry for expanding possibilities in teaching, learning, and research is explored through specific examples from a poet/teacher's practice of poetry as a way of knowing and a medium for sharing knowledge; 'Autophotography in adult education: building creative communities for social justice and democratic education' by Keith B. Armstrong (p. 33-44), in this chapter a composite technique blending photography and autobiography, known as autophotography, was used to unleash individual and group potential in a twelve-year participatory community; 'Mental illness through popular theater: performing (in)sanely' by Steven E. Noble (p. 45-53), in this chapter transgressive and liberatory learning are explored through the creativity of popular theater as adult education when the freedom and power to imagine and raise awareness are placed in the interacting bodymind relationships of a group living with multiple psychiatric diagnoses; 'Music for community education and emancipatory learning' by Kevin Olson (p. 55-64), in this chapter the author describes how collaborative music making continues to be a powerful means of facilitating group knowledge construction and emancipatory learning in communities; 'Scrap mettle SOUL: learning to create social change at the intersection of differences through community performance theater' by Bette Halperin Donoho (p. 65-73), in this chapter the author describes how Community Performance Theater is a vehicle for creating collective knowledge based on oral history, opening dialogue in an urban setting, and paving the way for social change; and 'Weaving the tapestry: tying themes and threads together' by Randee Lipson Lawrence (p. 75-81), this final chapter highlights five themes that thread through this volume: awareness of self, awareness of others, community building, social action, and art as a context for learning.