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CS92PROD
Composition Across the Arts: Theory And Practice of Interdisciplinary Curating
DANC 212
Fall 2023
Section: 01  

Wesleyan's Center for the Arts (CFA) opened in 1972 with an understanding that throughout the 20th century, the arts have continued to move away from "tightly bound categories" once defined by medium or genre--and with the goal of providing "[a] complex in which the exploration of the role of the arts in society, their interrelationships and new forms may¿stimulate the student and provide a vital cultural force in the community." In short, the CFA's mission was (and remains) to foster interdisciplinarity both within and beyond the field of artistic practice. This course will explore both the theory and practice of interdisciplinary art curating and making. We will read texts that situate our keyword ("interdisciplinary") within the context of social, political, and pedagogical struggles from the 1950s to the present. Simultaneously, we'll look at how different artists, critics, and scholars have attempted to frame definitions of contemporary art in which the older discipline-specific criteria no longer apply. Throughout the course, we¿ll consider how the turn towards interdisciplinarity places pressure not only on artists but curators, while we work to envision what a liberatory, contemporary institution might be both aesthetically and politically.

Course readings relate to contemporary curating within the global arts ecosystem. Course work, however, will be derive directly from the skill sets most often sought in entry-level job postings for arts organizations--research, writing, project development, and management. Through this process, we will rethink the underlying assumptions and values reproduced by these skills and field-wide practices. Ultimately, students will be invited to experiment with day-to-day operations of the CFA and given a chance to have a direct impact on future programming for the CFA. One way we will do this is to invite enrolled students to help assemble and participate in a director¿s council that will impact the future of the Center for the Arts. If a director's council is traditionally populated with executive leaders, this student-led director's council will convene representatives from the largest and most impactful population of the Wesleyan community: the students.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA DANC
Course Format: StudioGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (DANC-MN)(DANC)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on OCT-07-2024
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