This seminar explores the diversity of arts available in New York City. In the course of the semester, students will attend performances and exhibits on offer during the fall 2015 season. We will be working with a variety of textual, visual, musical, and performance genres. Questions that we will pursue include ones about genre, intellectual and creative meaning, the role that art plays in the social and cultural makeup of the city, the role of criticism, and the relevance of the arts in the contemporary world.