Museums (395-0-1)

Topic

Black Art and Ecology

Instructors

Rebecca Elizabeth Zorach

Meeting Info

Block Conference Room: Fri 1:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

Topic: Black Art and Ecology

In conjunction with several exhibitions and public installations on view in the fall of 2024, this course will study the ways in which Black artists in Chicago have engaged with environmental justice, social and natural ecologies, and the space of the city over the past 80 years. We will study artists' use of sustainable practices and reclaimed materials, the critique of spatial inequality and the space of the city itself as an artistic medium through urban farming, public art, and community engagement. Readings include theoretical and historical texts, but the primary object of study will be the artworks, exhibitions, and installations themselves. As a museum seminar, we consider the methods of institutions of different scales and types, including alternative galleries and artist-led projects, as they collect and present work by contemporary and historical Black artists. Students must be able to attend site visits that will often extend 1-2 hours past class hours on Fridays because of transportation time.

Class Notes

There is an internal waitlist for this course. Learn more here: https://arthistory.northwestern.edu/courses/2023-2024/registration_waitlist.html

Class Attributes

Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area