Making Art in Context

In this course students will do one term-long, socially engaged art project, which will be presented in a public context by the end of the term. The course is designed for students to learn about how artists working in social practice or other contextual practice make their work by engaging in the process. We will begin with a series of research activities, which will vary depending on student interests. Selection of topics, publics, materials, and form will also be chosen based on students’ interests, and the sites or contexts in which they would like to work. Students may wish to work in small groups or pairs, or individually depending on the subject and context in which the work is situated. 

Throughout the term, students will facilitate discussions about the assigned texts. They will engage in deep discussions with each other about their process and the ethics of working in community. They will be expected to do informal work in progress presentations and will receive peer and faculty feedback throughout the process of developing their project. Form and materials for the projects will be selected based on what will best represent the conceptual layers contained in the project, and will evolve along with the work. 

Students will be expected to present their final piece both to our class, and exhibit the work to a public of their choosing. Their public audience may include participants, collaborators, audiences interacting with the work in public space, site/context specific audiences, or others, but may not be exclusively digital in form or for an online-only audience. Digital work may be created but must be presented in physical space. 

Students will create a few pieces of short-format artistic writing including an artist statement, a description of the piece/project for the purposes of documenting and exhibiting, a title for the project, and a brief artist talk to practice introducing their work to a public. Students will also be responsible for inviting their public to view or interact with the project.