Art 3360: Introduction to Theories and Practices in the Visual Arts (Fall, 2006)

Catalog Description Overview of the role of the visual arts in personal, social and institutional contexts.
Prerequisites Freshman art core

 Overview of Course  The purpose of this course is to increase our awareness and knowledge of visual studies, art and education. The primary focus is on contemporary issues confronting the visual arts and visual cultures: How are artists making connections to life and art? How do contemporary contexts inform or challenge our notions of what is creative, imaginative, good, bad or for that matter art or artful? How are we, and what we call education, implicated in all of this?

Locating art and art visual studies within various social contexts, we examine how race, social class, gender, age, sexuality, ability, etc., affect and influence how we interpret, react to, and interact with art and visual cultures. How we teach, what we choose to teach about, whom we include in that decision-making process, and ways visual cultures affect our perceptions of ourselves and culture will be discussed in class.

There is always a blending of visual cultures, education and the personal. This class deals with real issues in life, visual cultures, arts and educations-- issues that are pertinent to the teaching and researching about visual culture, visual studies, arts and educations in the twenty-first century. This course seriously engages many issues related to visual studies, visual cultures, art and education. Some of them may be personally unpopular, controversial or uncomfortable. As all of the issues raised in this course are of substantive value and are addressed in visual culture and art education research and literature, it is hoped each student will approach difficult issues within the classroom with openness and respect.

Course Texts The following are required texts for this course:
Ayers, W. (2003). On the side of the child: Summerhill revisited. New York: Teachers College Press.
Bigelow, B., Harvey, B., Karp, S., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (2001). Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice.
Volume II. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.
Cahan, S. & Kocur, Z. (Eds.). (1996). Contemporary art and multicultural education. New York: Routledge.
Guerrilla Girls. (1998). The Guerrilla Girls’ bedside companion to the history of western art. New York: Penguin Books.
Marin, C. (2002). Chicano visions: American painters on the verge. NY: Bulfinch Press.
Sigler, H. (1999). Hollis Sigler’s breast cancer journal. NY: Hudson Hills Press.
Paley, V. Gussin. (1997). The girl with the brown crayon. Cambridge, MA: Harvard.

*You are responsible for purchasing one reading packet at Copy Tech located in West Hall, Room 145. Copy Tech is open from 8 AM to 5 PM (M-F). Perr, H. (1988). Making art together: Step-by-step. San Jose, CA: Resource Publications, Inc. (Reader at Copy Tech)

Art 3364: Foundations of Art in Social Institutions (Spring, 2006)                                

Catalog Description (Prerequisite: Art 3360) Examination of historical, political and pedagogical issues and policies of the visual arts in institutional settings.

Course Overview This semester, we will closely examine historic, political and pedagogical issues and policies through readings, discussions and teaching experiences. You will discover first-hand how teachers teach, what they teach and why and contemporary issues and conditions facing 21st century educators. We will immerse ourselves in anti-bias content and teaching strategies and teach for ten weeks at a local elementary school that does not have an art teacher. We will discuss and analyze our preparation, execution and impact on the school and ourselves. And there will be time to ponder, reflect and dream.

Course Texts

Derman-Sparks, L. (1989). Anti-Bias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, D. C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Lampela, L. & Check, E. (Eds.). (2003). From our voices: Art educators and artists speak out about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered issues. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Lomas Garza, Carmen. (1990). Family pictures. San Francisco: Children’s Press.
Rohmer, H.  (Ed.). (1999). Honoring our ancestors. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press.
Tatum, Beverly Daniel. (1999). Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? NY: Basic Books.

ART 5363 On-line Research Methods in the Visual Arts (Fall, 2006)

Catalog Description Prerequisite: Instructor approval. A survey of research methods applicable to the visual arts. May be repeated with change of emphasis.

Overview of Course

What is research? What is method? What is theory? In this course we will examine issues, techniques and theoretical concepts in relation to qualitative research, mainly because it parallels many arts-related issues and concerns. We will be looking at a variety of discipline and cross-discipline approaches, many related to education. Through mainly reading and dialogue postings, students will discuss pertinent issues and then begin to design and develop research proposals.

Course Texts
4 texts required
Felstiner, M. L. (1994). To paint her life: Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi era. NY: HarperPerennial.
Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2004). The practice of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers; Successful teachers of  African American children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sullivan, G. (2005). Art practice as research: Inquiry in the visual arts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

ART 7000 Art Seminar: Genders (Fall, 2005)

Catalog Description Prerequisite: For FA PhD students; open to other graduate students with consent of instructor.
Instructors collaborate to emphasize methodological hybridity while providing critical, historical, and/or creative approaches to topics or issues in the arts. May be repeated with change of emphasis. May be repeated with change of emphasis.

Overview of Course This course examines the relationships between art, genders, and the resulting politics, histories, and consequences. Beginning our study with foundational feminist and profeminist writers and thinkers, we will uncover the lived realities of artists and theorists bending and creating genders that challenge and de-center status quo/traditional/oppressive ways of thinking about gender and parallels in art. Our perusal, though cross-cultural, is not exhaustive, but none-the-less, will be enlightening and hopefully personally transformational.

The theme of this course is genders.  This course promotes the values of core objectives of critical study, hybridity, innovation, and self-critique. Lenses used for study include profeminist, feminist, queer, and standpoint theory. The material encompasses cross sections of race, social class, genders, sexualities, the able-bodied, etc. The team-taught collaboration is presented by two professors who are white, gay and straight, working and middle class, specializing in visual studies (Dr. Ed Check) and art history (Dr. Phoebe Lloyd). Besides innumerable field and outreach experiences, this team has a vested interest in reexamining his/her limits/constrictions/fears about genders. Both have personal and professional experiences dealing with gender issues and stories to tell.

This is a dynamic seminar course: reading intensive, lots of talk, and interaction. There is a paper/project expected focused on student’s interests and strengths.

Note: This class deals with real issues in life and art, issues that are pertinent to the making, teaching and researching about art, education and culture. Some of these issues may be personally unpopular, controversial or uncomfortable. All of the issues raised in this course are of substantive value and are addressed in art research and literature. It is hoped each student will approach difficult issues within the classroom with openness and respect.

Course Texts
Brant, B. (1994). Writing as witness: Essay and talk. Toronto: Women’s Press.
Edut, O. (2000). Body outlaws: Young women write about body image and identity. Seattle, WA: Seal Press. ISBN: 1-58005-043-3
Galvez, J. Vatos. El Paso, TZ: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN: 0-938317-52-0
Golden, T. (1994). Black male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art. NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Halberstam, J. (1998). Female masculinity. Durham, N. C.: Duke University Press. ISBN: 0-8223-2243-9
Kirkham, P. (Ed.). (1996). The gendered object. UK: Manchester University Press. ISBN: 0-7190-4475-8
Showalter, E. (1990). Sexual anarchy: Gender and culture at the fin de siècle. New York: Penguin. ISBN: 0-670-82503-4
Stoltenberg, John. (2000). Refusing to be a man: Essays on sex and justice (Rev. ed.). New York: UCL Press. ISBN: 1-84142-041-7
Wilchins, R. A. (1997). Read my lips: Sexual Subversion and the end of gender. Ithaca, New York: Firebrand Books. ISBN: 1-56341-090-7

ART 5360 Art Seminar: Teaching the Arts for Social Justice (Spring, 2005)

Catalog Description Topics vary per course from faculty research to publication processes, ecology, technology, interpretation, and issues of power, privilege or ideology. May be repeated for credit.

Overview of Course This course examines the relationships between art, social justice and progressive teaching practices. Beginning our study of social justice with the groundbreaking work of Paolo Freire and subsequent critiques (Ayers, hooks, and others), we will read about the impacts of Freire’s vision on contemporary artists and educators teaching for a more fully just and equitable culture.

This is a dynamic seminar course: reading intensive, lots of talk and interaction. There is a paper/project expected focused on student’s interests and strengths.

Note: This class deals with real issues in life and art, issues that are pertinent to the making, teaching and researching about art, education and culture. Some of these issues may be personally unpopular, controversial or uncomfortable. All of the issues raised in this course are of substantive value and are addressed in art research and literature. It is hoped each student will approach difficult issues within the classroom with openness and respect.

Course Texts
Ayers, William. (2003). On the Side of the Child: Summerhill Revisted. NY: Teachers College Press.
Freire, Paulo. (1989). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. NY: Continuum.
Guerrilla Girls. (2003). Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers: The Guerrilla Girls’ Illustrated Guide to Female
Stereotypes. NY: Penguin.
Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. NY: Basic Books.
hooks, bell. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. NY: Routledge.
Kadi, J. (1996). Thinking Class: Sketches From a Cultural Worker. Boston: South End Press.
Quinn, Therese (Guest Editor). (2004). Teaching the arts for social justice. Democracy & Education 15(3-4).