A r t a n d S o c i a l M o v e m e n t s

This elective course introduces students to a range of ways in which artists have participated in movements for social justice. The course is a hybrid seminar-studio experience with an emphasis on cross-disciplinary approaches, collaborative processes, and experiences beyond the classroom.

The primary instructor acts as a facilitator, posing critical questions and developing a framework for inquiry and experience. Much of the class, however, involves workshops by guest presenters, followed by projects using the forms they introduce. Guest presenters return during critique. Projects and guest presentations will be supplemented by core readings, supplementary video screenings, and a field trip to Chicago.

Students will:

1) Develop an understanding of historic and contemporary artistic practices allied with social justice movements in the United States.
2) Acquire skills in a number of art forms used within movements for social justice.
3) Refine a critical framework for evaluating activist art practices, their relation to the art world, and their connection to concrete social justice campaigns.
4) Create and distribute three original art pieces relevant to contemporary social justice movements.
5) Write a 3-5(undergrad)/7-10 (grad) page critical or historical essay on political art; non-traditional formats will be considered; papers/abstracts will be compiled in a class zine.