Art and Awareness: Art Practices and Collaborations in the 21st Century

REVISED

Spring 2012 quarter

Faculty

Evan Blackwell visual arts, ceramics

Fields of Study

aesthetics, art history, sustainability studies and visual arts

Preparatory for studies or careers in

studio arts, arts education, art history, and arts management.

Prerequisites

Students entering the program need some prior experience in the visual arts, specifically in 2-D or 3-D design, sculpture, painting or performance art, and be willing to create art collaboratively. 

Description

This program will investigate the social impact of art and explore what it means to be a “successful” artist working in the 21st century. How does the artist respond to current events, politics, social structures, ecological issues and existing paradigms in order to create a healthier community? How can the artist conduct meaningful dialogue about our cultural model? How can artists create awareness, and how can art effect social change?

Our focus will examine the development of post-1960’s visual, installation, video, performance and ecological art, and its effects on the art world and the broader culture. We will study a variety of artists intent on making a difference in the world. We will look beyond art galleries, museums and collectors' homes and investigate ways in which art and art practices are supported and integrated into public places. This program will research artist collaborations, collectives and communities in order to understand how artists accomplish projects beyond the fixed studio space. We will take a collaborative approach to many of the studio projects and workshops to create work that goes beyond what a single individual could normally accomplish.

Constructing with readily available materials not limited to traditional "fine art" mediums, we will gain skills in 2-D and 3-D design and construction methods, and link art making processes and materials to our ideas. These projects might culminate in site-specific installations, actions, performances, or objects - or take a less material-based approach using digital means and the World Wide Web.

Weekly writing assignments, lectures, seminars, studio visits, and studio workshops will build a broader understanding of what art is and what it can do for the world. Students must be as committed their reading, writing and research as they are to their own art-making. This program requires a strong work ethic and self-discipline, and students will be expected to work intensively in the studios on campus.

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

No Required Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Required Fees

$100 for field trips and supplies. Students will take projects and unused supplies with them at the end of the program.

Offered During

Day

Program Revisions