These are my learning objectives for AAD 550, Art in Society. These objectives speak to what my expectations are of myself for this class, as well as my expectations of coursework.
1. The course material for Art in Society has a heavy bent toward theoretical/conceptual ideations of art and its place in society. This is somewhat challenging for me. I hope to find a way into the material by becoming better at:
- Translating the more abstract readings and ideas into something I can understand by applying it to a “real world” situation; for example, thinking of how a purveyor of an artwork (someone who visits a gallery, let’s say) applies Institutional Theory, even if that individual doesn’t know the term Institutional Theory
- Pushing myself to think abstractly at will. I think of this class as physical fitness for my frontal lobe.
2. I hope to become better acquainted with Eugene through the Field Guide Project, which will likely necessitate me doing some field research around town.
3. I hope to understand my position better as an arts administrator within society. I hope to come up with possible answers for questions like:
- How does an arts manager/administrator contribute to the artistic process or the generation of creative output?
- What is her responsibility to facilitate the making of “good” art?
- Is her responsibility to the artist she is supporting, the audience, her organization? Who is the most important to please?
4. As what “transmedia” exactly is still eludes me, I hope to gain comfortability with the term, and be able to find examples that excite and interest me.
5. I would like to deepen and broaden my current base of Internet resources for all things art and society. I currently visit only a few blogs regularly, and feel there is an entire world of great art and information that I don’t know how to sift through. I expect I will know how to track down the websites relevant to me a little more easily after this class, or at least reignite my interest in discovering new arts and culture blogs and websites. I also hope to better understand how I will use these resources in my future career as an arts administrator.
6. As an artist myself, I would like to remember to consider all course readings and material from that point of view, not just as an outside analyzer or future arts manager. Discussions of what art means to people individually, in communities and subgroups, and as a society are interesting. But, I don’t want to imagine myself as somehow separate from the discussion. This goes back to 1. above. How do these issues affect me on a day-to-day basis, as a musician and writer?
7. Finally, I want formulate an opinion about what makes an collaborative art project or community-based nonprofit organization successful through its use of community engagement/interactivity/participatory practices.