Syllabus

HNRS 125                                                                  FALL 2011
Queens College                                                    Professor M. Healey
Office Hours: M/F 12:15-1:30                               meghanhealey@hotmail.com
Office is located in COLWIN HALL 410-411

HONORS 125: THE ARTS IN NEW YORK CITY

Seminar 1 explores the diverse arts in New York City. During the semester, students attend performances and exhibits of the current cultural season. In addition to the four genres (opera, dance, theater, and the visual arts) covered in all sections of the Seminar, faculty choose from a variety of textual, photographic, musical, and performance genres. Students tackle such questions as: What does each genre offer? How does each speak to us? How does art create, serve, and represent the people of the city and its diverse communities? Aesthetic appreciation is supported by social and historical investigations so that students are provided with opportunities for different kinds of engagement with art forms, including interpretation, analysis, and creative endeavors. The culminating event of the Seminar, Snapshot NYC, is an ongoing accumulation of photographs of student views of New York City.

This semester, we will explore artists’ contrasting views of New York City- light and dark, rich and poor, insider and outsider- and discuss our community’s role in the larger American culture as iconic dreamland and urban blight. You will be asked to write and reflect on the work you see, as well as create your own original work that reflects your view of this particular cultural moment in New York City.

UPTOWN AND DOWNTOWN: HAVES AND HAVE NOTS?

CLASS #1 (8/29):

  • Introduction and Discussion of the Syllabus
  • Discussion of performances and assignments, and proper etiquette for performances.
    • Assignments for next class:
  1. READINGS:
  • What is Theater? Reading: handout from class
  1. PERFORMANCES:
  • Anthony Caro on the Roof, Metropolitan Museum of Art- FRIDAY 9/2 at 7PM
  • Theater for a New City Street Festival, Washington Square Park- Sunday 9/11 at 5PM
  1. FILMS:
  • Manhattan  (Allen, 1980)
  1. BLOGS:
  • BLOG #1 (Due Sunday 9/4 by 12am): Give your impressions of the theater day performance. Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Did this performance qualify as art? What does that word mean to you?
  • BLOG #2 (Due TUESDAY 9/13 by 12am): Compare the experience at Anthony Caro to the Street performances we attended. How did each reflect on stereotypical ideas of uptown and downtown art? Which fit into your idea of art, and which did you like most?

CLASS #2 (9/12):

  • We will discuss how to meaningfully evaluate a live performance Discussion of the performances and the film and how they related to the readings. What do the terms “uptown” and “downtown” mean? How do artists portray these communities?
    • Assignments for next class:
  1. READINGS:
  • God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza
  1. PERFORMANCES:
  • The Bald Soprano at The Pearl Theater- date TBD
  1. BLOGS:
  • BLOG #3: Review the performance at the Pearl. How did the performance speak to a New York Audience? (DUE MONDAY 9/19 12am)

CLASS #3 (9/19):

  • Discuss The Bald Soprano, particularly how the play was similar or different from God of Carnage. How do the plays and the film you saw portray people of a privileged economic class? Discussion of Photojournal Project and a short history of photography.
    • Assignments for the next class:
  1. READINGS:
  • In Arabia We’d All Be Kings by Stephen Adley Gurgis
  1. FILMS:
  • Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1979)
  1. BLOG #4: Is there an image or artwork that you think epitomizes your idea of “Uptown”/wealthy New York? What is it and why do you think this image has meaning to you?
  2. 4.    Your photo journal is due every Sunday at midnight from now until 12/1. Please include this assignment in your weekly plans from now on.

CLASS #4 (9/26):

  • We will compare and contrast the portrayals of economic class in the plays, films, and artworks that we have viewed. Where do you see yourself in this spectrum? How accurate were these portrayals?
    • Assignments for the next class:
  1. FILMS:
  • Do the Right Thing (Lee, 1990)

2. PERFORMANCE:

  • New Music Tuesday at INTAR New York (500 52nd Street @ 10th Avenue) 7:30 PM 9/2

3. BLOG #5: Queens is the most diverse borough in New York City, and one of the most diverse communities anywhere. To what cultural or ethnic communities do you belong? Is there an artwork (it can be a song, a piece of fine art, a dance, or a performing art piece) that has a special significance in your culture? What is it and what does it signify to you?

 

 

CITY OF IMMIGRANTS: ART AND ETHNICITY IN NEW YORK CITY

CLASS #5 (10/3):

  • We will be discussing the significance of artworks that relate to and reflect cultural and ethnic identity. How have different immigrant groups added to the culture of New York City? How do they create a new culture that fuses their identities to the city as a whole? We will also have a discussion of the role of fine art in culture.
    • Assignments for next class:
  1. READINGS:
  • Art and Politics Reading (handed out in class)
  • Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang
  1. FILM:
  • Maria Full of Grace (Marston, 2004)
  1. BLOG #6: Video Blog! This is an open topic blog for you to speak about any topic (that relates to this class) that you have something more to say about.

CLASS#6 (10/17):

  • Many of the films and plays that we have watched and read in this unit are addressing racial stereotypes and prejudices. How can art comment on or address social issues such as racism? Is art an effective way of bringing attention to these issues?
    • Assignments for Next Class:
  1. READINGS:
  • A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller
  1. PERFORMANCE:
  • Asuncíon at Rattlestick Playwright’s Theater (10/19 @ 8PM)
  1. BLOG #7: Review of Asuncíon. Was the play effective? Why or why not?

CLASS #7 (10/24):

  • In this class we will reflect on what way the portrayals of immigrant experiences in New York compare and contrast with the views of rich and poor in New York?
  1. READINGS:
  • The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
  1. FILM:
  • In America (Sheridan, 2004)
  1. BLOG #8: What was the piece from our unit on immigrant views of New York that affected you the most and why?

CITY OF DREAMS OR URBAN NIGHTMARE?

Class #8 (10/31):

  • Of the millions of people who have immigrated to New York City, thousands were drawn here to pursue a dream. We will discuss the view of New York as an iconic place, versus the reality of New York City.
    • Assignments for next class:
  1. READING:
  • Kindness by Adam Rapp
  • Opera Reading (handout in class)
  1. EXHIBITS:
  • Intervals: Nicola Lopez (Guggenheim Museum)**
  • **PLEASE NOTE this exhibit closes on 10/25
  1. BLOG #9: New York Neighborhoods blog. This assignment will be passed out in class.

Class #9 (11/7):

  • We will discuss and show video from your New York Neighborhoods assignment. Why is New York such an iconic image in art and popular culture? What is it about New York that captures the imaginations of such a diverse body of people? We will choose groups for your multimedia final project and you will have a chance to discuss inhabited in your groups.
    • Assignments:
  1. READING:
  • inhabited by Michael John Garcés (will be distributed in class)
  1. PERFORMANCE:
  • Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera TONIGHT!!!!!! 11/7 at 8PM
  1. BLOG #10: What did you think of Don Giovanni and the opera experience? First address how successful you thought the performance was in appealing to a young opera viewer such as yourself. Second- how did your opera experience reflect the ideas that we have been discussing about New York as a fantasy/nightmare?

Class #10 (11/14):

  • We will discuss the performance of Don Giovanniand Opera as an art form.
    • Assignments:
  1. READING:
  • The Mercy Seat by Neil LaBute
  1. FILMS:
  • Fahrenheit 9/11 (Moore, 2003)
  1. EXHIBITS:
  • 9/11 Peace Story Quilt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (view This by 12/5)
  1. BLOG #11: Is New York your Eden? Or your inferno?

Class #11 (11/21):

  • We will discuss the plays and films you viewed/read in this unit and how these images of New York relate to the views of New York we viewed in the previous unit in the first half of class. In the second half of class you will have a work session in your groups to finalize your storyboard which is due next week.
    • Assignments:
  1. Finish your storyboards. Make your shooting schedule and secure your locations. You should have your costume and production designs prepared, finish your casting.

Class #12 (11/28):

  • We will see and discuss each group’s storyboard and concept. You will have a chance to present your proposal and then discuss the feedback in your groups.
    • Assignments:
  1. READING:
  • Final Reading (handout in class)
  1. PERFORMANCE:
  • Supernatural Wife  (BAM 11/30 8PM)
  1. BLOG #12: How did the events of 9/11 change people’s perceptions of New York? Is it more meaningful to the people of New York City than to others who do not live here? Can artists truly portray the traumatic events of that day in a meaningful way? Why or why not?
  2. PHOTOJOURNAL:
  • Your photojournal ends this week. The last photos will be posted on 12/4.

Class #13 (12/5)

  • We will discuss how the 9/11 artworks attempt to address political events through art. You will have time in class to have a meeting with your group to work on editing your film.
    • Assignments:
  1. PHOTOJOURNAL: Choose your favorite image from your journal, and bring a hard copy of it to class.
  2. BLOG #13: Final blog. Reflect back on all the works you saw this semester and all the different ways and images that were portrayed of New York City. Which work was your favorite? Which view of New York City is the one you find most truthful?

Class #14 (12/12)

  • Final class. We will wrap up the work we have been doing this semester with one final discussion and meditation on how place is portrayed through the lens of art in various media.
    • Assignments:
  1. 1.    FINAL PROJECT IS DUE NEXT WEEK.

GRADING POLICIES AND CLASS GUIDELINES:

 

  • Arts in NYC Blog- 40 % of your grade

Your blog will be graded on several factors:

  1. Quality and clarity of ideas
  2. Concise and clear expression of arguments
  3. The progress of your blog over the course of the semester- meaning your blogs and ideas should improve in quality as we go on, not diminish as you get busy later in the semester.
  4. Completion and submission of your blog no later than midnight each Sunday before class.

There are alternative Blog topics in the event you are forced to miss a performance that you were assigned to blog. Please see me ASAP if you need to complete the alternative. Your blog will be critiqued every three weeks during the semester, more if you are struggling. You should try to respond to the suggestions given in your critique, and be consistent in your blog. Each blog should not exceed 1.5-2 pages as a word document.

 

  • Photojournal Project– 25 % of your grade

Your photojournal project will be critiqued along the same guidelines as your blog:

  1. Quality of the images
  2. Choice of images- are you finding unusual ways to tell your visual story, are you improving the quality of your images as time goes on?
  3. Narrative Clarity- Are you telling a story through images?
  4. Completion in a timely manner- meaning that the Tech and I can see that you are uploading images NO LESS than 2 times a week, meaning that you are ACTUALLY KEEPING A WEEKLY PHOTOJOURNAL, NOT JUST TAKING A BUNCH OF PHOTOS EVERY MONDAY AND UPLOADING THEM TO YOUR JOURNAL. I warn you that I will know if this is what you are doing, as it will not result in quality work, and it defeats the educational purpose of this project.

 

  • Multimedia Final Project– 20 %of your grade

 

  • Meet the Artists— The Honors College requires you to attend at least one of their common events in the Meet The Artists Series. THIS IS MANDATORY AND NON-NEGOTIABLE. The list of the events will be posted on E-portfolio and you can attend any event of your choosing. Make sure you register for events you want to attend in advance, since some professors will take their class as a group and space at your desired event may be limited. You are required to sign in at the event as proof of your participation, and you must provide me with the date and name of the event you attended no later than 12/5.

 

  • Class Participation–15 % of your grade–Class participation encompasses- but is not limited to- regular class attendance. Excellence in class participation means arriving in class on time, with your work prepared, attending the performances and events- ON TIME- and being able to speak and offer your opinions without being prompted. Repeated absences (exceeding three in the semester) from class, repeated absences from performances and events, lack of preparation, and repeated lateness will have a negative effect on your grade.

Policies regarding the Performances and Exhibits for class

Your presence at the performances and exhibits that are arranged for this seminar is a required element of your participation in this course. In the course of the semester it may happen that due to illness, religious obligations, night classes, or other sudden circumstances you are not able to attend one of the performances or events. This is unfortunate, but sometimes there are circumstances beyond our control that must be addressed. If you have advance notice that you need to miss one of the performances, you should contact me ahead of time to try and arrange something. There are alternative blog topics if you need to make up for a performance that you have missed. Missing the performance does not excuse you from your blog assignments. You can also choose to attend the assigned performance on another date at your own expense. The only tickets that are available to you free of charge are the ones that Honors College has arranged for the performance dates listed on the final page of this syllabus. Repeatedly missing performances will have a serious negative effect on your grade in this course and will be reported to the Dean of Honors College. There is, of course absolutely NO TEXTING or phone use of ANY kind during the performances.

We will meet in the lobby of the performance venue 20 minutes before the start of the scheduled performance. PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOTE THE START TIME AND VENUE LOCATION OF EACH PERFORMANCE. We will enter the performance no later than 10 minutes before the show starts. IF YOU ARE LATE (MEANING YOU ARRIVE AFTER WE HAVE ALREADY ENTERED THE PERFORMANCE) THEN YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK, AND YOU WILL MISS THE PERFORMANCE.

There are some fine art exhibits that you have been assigned to view on your own schedule. The date suggested under the “performances” section of your assignments is the suggested date on which to view the exhibit in relation to the lesson, but you are free to view it any time before we are to discuss the exhibit in class at your own convenience. PLEASE NOTE THE DATE BY WHICH YOU ARE TO VIEW THE EXHIBIT, AS WELL AS THE CLOSING DATE OF THE EXHIBIT. You can go together as a group or as an individual. Use your cultural passport to view the exhibits without additional charge.

 

Your cell phone must be turned off (this includes texting) during all performances- – and while you are attending exhibits. Many museums will allow you to take non-flash photographs of the exhibits, with some restrictions. Please observe all rules and policies of the museums you visit.

 

General Class Policies

 

The use of cell phones in class is strictly and completely PROHIBITED. Please turn your phone to the “off” position, and store it inside your bag during class time. This means no texting, no checking your email, and no phone calls during class time- I do not want to hear your phone ring, I do not want to see you texting under your desk. If I find this happening, you will be asked to leave class, and you will receive a 0 grade for class participation that day.

Laptop computers may not be used in class– except for giving presentations, and with permission during certain work sessions. During a work session all work on the computer must be specifically related to the project. If I find you surfing the web and checking emails during a work session, you will receive a 0 grade for class participation that day, and your laptop will be banned from future classes. Laptops may not be used for note taking. I apologize for this inconvenience, but the presence of wireless internet has proven to be an irresistible temptation to most students. You are welcome and encouraged to take all the notes you want, but you will need to do so using a pen and paper.

 

One of the reasons for these rules is the importance of creating a positive atmosphere for class discussion. This can only exist in a class where you and your fellow students are focused and respectful of one another. Some of the works we will be reading and viewing can be provocative, controversial, and may even be offensive to some students. Your honest reaction to these works is your own, you do not have to agree with, or even like, what the artist is expressing- or what another student is saying about it. But a true dialogue is only possible when we respect one another’s differences and really try to hear different points of view. We also need to foster an atmosphere of trust and non-judgmental listening. Which means, what is said in class should stay in class, and students should not be afraid to speak their minds for fear that it will be discussed in other contexts.

Thank you, in advance for respecting these guidelines.

If you need to reach me, my primary email address, which appears on page one of this syllabus, is the best way. That is the email that comes to my phone and which I check throughout the day. My school email address is fine, but I do not check it every day. You can also call my office at 718-997-3192, but if no one answers, then I am not there, and it is also the costume shop phone so there is no voicemail. Some of you may note that on my hotmail email signature, my cell phone number is listed. Please respect that this number appears there because this is my primary business email, not as an invitation for you to call or text me on my cell phone. I am delighted to make an appointment to see you any time you have concerns about your work in class, or if you want to discuss a project with me one on one.

The syllabus, and all other class documents, as well as lecture notes for class will be available to you on Eportfolio. I will also be emailing you as a group through the Eportfolio system, which means you need to check your school email address regularly, so that you do not miss important information.

Our Instructional Technology Fellow (ITF) is Tsai-Shiou Hsieh and she can be reached at tsaishiou@gmail.com for any problems with your blog or photo uploads.

Texts for class:

Reading Handouts: will be distributed in class free of charge

PLAYS:

God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings by Stephen Adley Gurgis, Kindness by Adam Rapp, A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller, Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang, The Mercy Seat by Neil La Bute, The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder

 

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