Course Description
Welcome! This seminar provides students with an opportunity to experience, appreciate, and critique the wide array of art forms that make up the cultural fabric of New York City. Throughout the semester, we will attend theatre, dance, opera, film, art exhibitions, and concerts as a group. Together, we explore the means of expression particular to each of these genres and develop ways of describing, evaluating, and questioning these varied cultural experiences while considering both their content and form. In addition to being engaged audience members at these events, you will spend a good deal of time discussing ideas through lively in-class conversations, written responses, and other creative means. Our primary foci include: a) cultivating aesthetic appreciation and enjoyment of these various art forms, b) moving beyond subjective responses by diversifying analytical methodologies to create informed critical opinions about each work, and c) learning to express these views clearly through different oral and written forms of communication.
Although we will take a broad approach to various forms, our primary focus will be theatrical performance, building up a broad cultural, social, material, and historical understanding of the differences between traditional and more experimental genres. Every culture across the globe creates performances that respond to or critique their surroundings, developing works which might maintain the status quo, challenge it, or distort reality altogether. These different styles are perhaps nowhere more apparent than in New York City where theatre cultures have flourished, from the mainstream stages of Broadway to the avant-garde downtown arts scene and beyond.
This course will offer the opportunity to observe a remarkable range of art across the city, including the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center, the theatres of the East Village, exhibitions at MOMA PS1 in Queens, the Next Wave festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and much more! For each performance, we will explore how the artistic experience expands far beyond the artwork itself, considering such elements as space, audience, and its means of production. Supplemental readings and discussions will emphasize the social context of art, highlighting issues related to politics, global exchange, and identity in addition to more formal concerns. Most importantly, this course requires you to confront unfamiliar and sometimes challenging material with an open mind and critical eye.
Learning Outcomes:
– Students will distinguish the ways in which form generates meaning in various types of creative production.
– Students will understand the arts as a critical discipline and will analyze and discuss artists’ statements, primary sources, criticism, and scholarly texts.
– Students will identify and articulate the historical and contemporary significance of creative activity.
John Berger, Ways of Seeing (Available used on Amazon Prime for $9.00 or new for $11.00).
All other readings will be provided electronically or are hyperlinked on the syllabus. (N.B. Please bring in a copy of the reading to class on the day it is due in printed or digital form).
idNYC
If you don’t already have an idNYC card, please sign up for one right away. This card gives you FREE access to a great number of cultural institutions across the city (see a full list here), some of which we won’t get to this semester, but I encourage you to take advantage of! You will need to make an appointment at your local idNYC office to submit the necessary paperwork for your card. You can submit your initial application electronically in advance to speed up the in-person process. To get a card you will need: 2-3 pieces of identification in total that prove your identity including 1 piece that includes your picture and date of birth (such as a passport, license, etc.) and 1 piece which proves you live in NYC (an internet bill with your name and address, for example). If you are not a New York City resident or foresee any issues, please get in touch with me or contact the idNYC office with any questions. Above is a link to the website where you can find more information and can set up an appointment directly online. (Note: You can also use this card as your New York Public Library card!)
STUDENT EVALUATION:
Participation and Attendance (20%)
Blog Posts and Commentary (30%)
iMovie Project (20%)
Research Paper and Class Presentation (30%)
Specific requirements for writing assignments will be discussed in class and explained further in separate handouts.
Participation & Attendance (20%): Working in a group structure, not unlike working collaboratively in a theatre, requires participation and preparation. I expect that you will attend every class having carefully prepared assigned materials ready to participate with questions or comments about the readings. Participation will not simply be evaluated by presence, but by the level and frequency of your participation. Participation might also include in-class quizzes, focused free-writing activities, or other low stakes assessments.
Good participation requires thoughtful and courteous responses to your colleagues as well as engaged listening. Your input makes class more interesting and valuable. Meaningful participation generates meaningful in-class discussions. I do understand that different students participate in different ways. If you feel very uncomfortable speaking aloud in class, email me and we can discuss alternatives.
Attendance is mandatory. This course requires attendance at numerous events outside of our regular class meeting time. These events are not optional since they have been paid for. Please mark your calendars now for these events now! Any unexcused absence will affect your grade negatively. In the case of an emergency or illness, a note from your doctor or dean is required. Since we only meet for class once a week, missing 2 (or more) classes puts you at risk of failing this course. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to class without prior notification, you will be considered absent. If you have a scheduling conflict with any of the scheduled performances, please get in touch with me immediately.
Blog Posts & Commentary (30%): Each week, you will write a short, prompted blog post related to that week’s readings or cultural events (300 words) as well as respond to one classmate’s post (+/- 100 words). Blog posts will be multimodal and will not just consist of written posts and responses, but can also include text with photos, video, or other creative responses to cultural outings and/or readings for that week. Posts are due at noon on Tuesdays before our class meets as we will consider them during our class discussion. (N.B. No blog post will be due on weeks when we do not meet in person.)
Urban Space iMovie Project (20%):
Your creative project for the semester consists of creating an iMovie representing or documenting an aesthetic landscape somewhere in New York City. You can choose to approach this project in a number of different ways. For example, you might create a video essay exploring the aesthetic construction of the space by documenting various aspects that make it artistic in your opinion, or you might focus on how New Yorkers engage with the space and how it fits into the social landscape of the city. Alternatively, you might utilize compositional aspects of the space to construct your own piece of art. You might even choose to stage and film a performance within the space, exploring its contours in abstract ways or writing a script and making a short film. Be creative! My only requirements are a) that your project be constructed entirely of elements from your chosen space, so nothing in the film should be represented/take place beyond this space, and b) that everyone has a significant role in the creation of the project.
Collaborating in groups of 3 or 4, decide upon an urban setting to focus your project on. This could be a space you know well or one you want to learn more about. It will be required that you visit the space together at least twice and document your field notes while there which you will share with me through two of your blog post assignments. Consider the aesthetic aspects of the space or how you find yourself moving through the space. What kind of creative project would best suit this type of a space? Ask yourself: What kinds of shapes, colors, and textures do you find in the space? Is it natural or manmade (or a mix of both)? Does the space feature architectural curiosities, graffiti, sculptures, murals, artworks, street performances, festivals, gardens, stages, fountains, public meeting spaces, spectacular views, or other notable elements? After observing the space, consider how best to to capture, document, and represent the space in an artistic project.
This assignment asks you to consider the space as a total environment, potentially encompassing artistic, social, political, material, and geographical factors. Cities like New York differ greatly from block to block, and so you might also consider how your particular space is distinct in the landscape of New York. A few examples of urban spaces include: an historic building, a public park, a city square, a community center, a neighborhood, a particular block, a subway platform, a city landmark, a theatre, a school, a church, a museum, public transit, or any other discrete space that has some appeal to you! This space could be encountered on your daily commute, the neighborhood where you live, or a particular area you are drawn to visually and want to consider more deeply through a creative project.
These projects should consist of original footage and representational evidence captured by smartphones, cameras, sketches, sculpture, video, or other means. Once you have chosen on a mode of representation and gathered the materials you need, you thoroughly edit these materials into a short movie running +/- 5-minutes in length. If you’ve never used iMovie, don’t worry! Our tech fellow, Tommy Wu, will lead a workshop with other Macaulay students to help you learn about this program. This project will be completed in a sequence throughout the semester. If you would are interested in showcasing these projects, you can participate in the STEAM festival happening at Macaulay Central Dec 2-3!
*Due Dates:
- 1-Paragraph iMovie Proposal: October 4th
- Site Visits and Blog Posts: October 11th and November 7th
- iMovie Workshop led by ITF:Late October (Date TBD)
- In-Class iMovie Screenings: November 29th
Research Paper and Class Presentation (30%): For this written assignment, you will write an 8-page research paper on a current exhibition, concert, performance, film, or theatrical production we have NOT seen together as a class. You can use your idNYC card to gain free access to this event (check the website for partnering institutions) or look for other deals or free/cheap tickets to attend this chosen piece. If you have one in mind and are having trouble finding tickets, come and speak to me right away. I will discuss discount ticket opportunities in class as well.
This project will require you to conduct in-depth research to analyze this piece, drawing comparisons with other artists/movements/genres/companies/productions/plays/playwrights/films/etc., considering both form and content. Most importantly, your paper should move beyond summarizing what you saw or giving a biographical sketch of the artist; rather, you must examine the wider historical and cultural context from which this production emerged and how it was created. Avoid “data dumping,” or simply listing/summarizing facts found during your research. You must demonstrate an argument using these facts.
At the end of the semester, you will give a brief presentation of your findings to the class, including a Powerpoint with relevant images and a short overview of your research. Further guidelines will be given out in class. This essay assignment will be completed through a sequence of assignments:
Due Dates:
One-Paragraph Topic Proposal: October 4th (by email)
One-Page Revised Topic Description and Annotated Bibliography: November 1st (by email)
Full Draft of Essay Due: December 6th
Final Paper and Presentation Due: December 20th
COURSE POLICIES
Late Papers: No late papers or e-mailed attachments will be accepted without prior consultation. All assignments are due at the beginning of class. For papers handed in after the start of class on the date they were due, I will deduct half a letter from your grade (i.e. an A becomes an A-; a B+ becomes a B, etc.). For papers handed in after the due date, I will deduct one full letter grade per each day late. (i.e. if you hand in a paper the day after it is due, an A becomes a B; two days late, an A becomes a C and so forth.) I will not accept papers e-mailed to me as attachments (late or not) without prior consultation
Formatting Guidelines: 12-pt Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins with page numbers in the top right hand corner. Please do not include a separate title page. Instead, include your name, date, my name, and the assignment name in the top left hand corner of the first page of your assignment. Titles should be listed at the top of the first page of the assignment and underlined. All play, film, and exhibition titles should be italicized, not put “in quotations.”
Contacting me: While I will not be holding official office hours, I am available by appointment and encourage you to schedule one if you have any questions about your readings, assignments, or the course policies. But you may also reach me via email at anytime. I will respond as promptly as possible, but I suggest that you try and alert me of urgent matters at least 24 hours in advance. Please check your Hunter/Macaulay email account daily as it will be our primary point of contact outside of class. Please remember that emails are professional correspondence. Proofread and sign your emails, include a subject line, and begin with an appropriate greeting such as “Dear Professor Gillespie” or “Dear Benjamin” (not “Hey Professor”). Before you send me an email, ask yourself: “Have I checked the syllabus and/or asked a classmate for this information?”
Electronic Devices: It is strongly suggested that you bring readings to class in printed form and that you take notes by hand. Please do not use your smartphone for reading or taking notes. If you prefer using a laptop, you may use it to take notes or for in-class media activities. Using electronic devices for any reason unrelated to our classroom activities such as sending emails or social networking, is unacceptable and will negatively impact your grade. Cell phone use during class is not tolerated for any reason.
