History of Art 4016: Senior Research Seminar - Art and the Museum
Museums have become public institutions that collect, preserve, document, exhibit, and interpret cultural materials for the benefit of the public. This course will examine museum collections from functional, historical, material, and aesthetic perspectives. Students will be expected to critically engage with these perspectives throughout the semester and in their research projects. Case studies, guest lectures, and virtual museum visits will be used to demonstrate evolving theories, practices, laws, and ethical implications of collecting “cultural materials,” which is broadly defined to include the visual arts as well as historical and archaeological objects. An important component of the course will be devoted to examining the role of museums in defining cultural identity, legitimacy of ownership for materials collected during colonial eras, and repatriation of materials to original countries and/or communities. We will also consider how museums are redefining themselves today as educational, social, and cultural institutions.
Image: taken by instructor at Sudan National Museum in 2018
Autumn 2021
Professor Sarah Schellinger
Class #23633
In person Tues & Thurs 11:10-12:30