Prof. Laura Kolb, Baruch College
Hi all,
The final is now posted under “assignments” on the blog. Please note that I have updated the instructions to include (1) your budget of $60 per student and (2) links to the CUNY Arts and Macaulay Cultural passport websites, with lists of free museums, etc.
If you missed class and have questions–or even if you attended and have questions–get in touch.
Thanks again for a great semester!
-Prof Kolb
Click here for directions on the take-home final.
Dear students,
First of all, congratulations on all your projects at the STEAM festival! They all looked fabulous, and from what I saw you were doing a stellar job of explaining them to other festival-goers. I hope you are all as proud of yourselves as I am of you.
Don’t forget to post blog post #9 by tonight at 9. Read through everyone’s posts, and then add two comments in response to your peers’ work by Monday night. When commenting, try to favor posts lacking comments rather than those that already have several.
Grades for post #8 should be up later this evening.
Finally: do your course evaluations! Many thanks to those of you who have already done them.
See you Tuesday!
Prof Kolb
Your final blog post for the semester is a response to THE JUNGLE at St. Ann’s Warehouse.
By Sunday at 9 pm, please post a 400-500 word reflection on a striking moment, scene, or speech from the play. Pick a detail of the performance, and give an account of what made this moment powerful, moving, or surprising.
After posting, please read through your classmates work. By Monday at 9 pm, add substantial and thoughtful comments to response to at least two other students’ responses.
Dear Students,
A quick reminder to add your comments to your peers’ blog posts by 9 pm tonight. Leave substantial, thoughtful comments on two posts (or more, if you like!). If a post already has multiple comments, please move on to one that has no comments yet.
See you tomorrow! Remember to do the four readings related to tomorrow’s excursion to see the Jungle at St. Ann’s.
Best,
Prof Kolb
Dear Students,
Blog post eight is due by Sunday, at 9 pm. Because we weren’t really able to have a detailed discussion at the museum, we’re having a virtual discussion this week. Read through all of your classmates’ posts, after the deadline (or as they start showing up!). Then, by Monday at 9 pm, leave substantial comments on two of your peers’ posts. You can extend your peers’ lines of thinking; offer alternate interpretations of the work of art they focus on; or connect their ideas to your own. Be generous and thoughtful.
NOTE: In your comments, simply praising or criticizing is not enough. Think of the posts and comments as parts of a dialogue, a conversation, in which we collectively and collaboratively analyze works of art.
Your readings for next week are posted. Two are short news articles; two are longer and more academic (be prepared to spend some time with these). We will spend about half the class on discussion, and half on STEAM work.
Remember that on Wednesday, 12/5, we are going to The Jungle at St Anne’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. No one has emailed me with transit/scheduling difficulties, which is great–I’m working under the assumption that everyone has their travel under control. (If this is not the case, speak now!)
See you on Tuesday!
Prof Kolb
One week from today, on Wednesday, Dec. 5, we will have our final class excursion to see The Jungle at St. Anne’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. Plan your transit now. Do not be late. Latecomers may not be seated, which means you’ll miss the play, and the participation for the excursion.
The show begins at 7:30; arrive by 7:10 at the latest. The run time is 2 hours and 45 minutes, with one intermission.
Right now–seriously, right now, as you are reading this–(1) take the time to anticipate any problems you might have in getting to this excursion, or in getting home from it. Then (2) actively try to come up to solutions to those problems.
If you truly cannot figure out a solution on your own–and I have faith that as increasingly savvy New York City navigators, you can!–get in touch with me immediately. Do not wait til next Tuesday or Wednesday. Get in touch now.
I’ll be sending reminder emails about the reading for next Tuesday, and about Sunday’s blog post (and the replies you will write to other people’s posts). For now, I want you to take a few minutes to plan your transit for next Weds evening.
Be in touch with questions.
Prof Kolb
Hi all,
A reminder that we will meet tomorrow at 11:10 at the Jewish Museum. Bring your Macaulay cultural passport–you need this for free admission!
Remember that there are four short readings for you to complete in preparation. Finish these before arriving at the museum.
Blog post #8 (due 12/2 by 9 pm) will be based on this excursion. At the Jewish Museum, choose a work of art from either the Martha Rosler show or the Chagall, Lissitzky, and Malevich show, and photograph that work. Jot some notes for yourself on (1) how this work is (or was, in its historical moment) experimental as art; (2) how it is–or was–a political statement; how it is trying to intervene in the world; and (3) how these things fit together: how is this work’s experimental medium, content, or style linked to its political message?
If you missed last week’s class or have questions about the post talk to me tomorrow!
See you tomorrow on the Upper East Side!
Prof Kolb
Next week, we are going to see two shows at the Jewish Museum: “Chagall, Lissitsky, Malevich: The Russian Avant-Garde in Vitebsk, 1918-1922” and “Martha Rosler: Irrespective.”
Both shows—one on early 20th century Russian art, one on a late 20th century American artist—exhibit both formal experimentation and political content. Both address the question of “what is art” and the question of “what does art do, in the world?”
You will choose one work of art from either show, and write a 400-500 word blog post about it. At the museum, after you choose your work of art, take a photo of it to post on the blog.
In your written analysis, answer the following questions:
1. In what way does this work constitute experimental, or avant-garde, art? What boundaries does it push? What innovations does it make? Is it a mimesis—or is it abstract? Pay attention to the medium—the materials—as well as the content and visual style of the artwork, here.
2. In what way is this work political? What message does it hold? How is it—do you think—trying to effect a change in the viewer, or in the world?
3. How are your answers to #1 and #2 related? How is the artwork’s experimentalism (in terms of style, medium, or artistic method) related to its political content, if at all?
NOTE: If you want to review the PowerPoint on avant-garde and political art from our 11/20 class, it is available here.
Dear students,
The portal is now open for signing up for STEAM festival slots. Click here to register. Remember that only one person per group should sign up; you will be able to enter everyone’s name on the registration form. The sooner you sign up, the more likely you are to receive your desired time slot, so do this ASAP.
I’ll see you in class tomorrow, which will be dedicated to STEAM festival work. Remember that everyone must have something to work on, and that–when it comes to presenting–everyone must contribute, out loud. Remember, too, that you should present something visual or physical–even if it is just a sketch of the project, or a tiny portion of it. In your presentations, talk about your vision for the project, your methods for making it, and your major influences (these can be artworks we’ve seen, texts we’ve read, or anything from outside the class that inspired your project).
Really looking forward to seeing what you’re working on.
See you tomorrow–
Prof Kolb
P.S. For teams that requested supplies: these have been ordered but have not yet arrived; we will keep you updated.
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