Laura T. Smith: Teaching

What is "public art"? How does it identify and interact with its audience? How does it engage with public spaces? In this course, we'll investigate public art works from national war memorials to neighborhood graffiti. We'll look at the role of artists in the public sphere and examine the rhetoric of public art, particularly the way art and artists participate in the dichotomy between “high art” and public art. We'll learn about urban planning and national arts policy and investigate how public art affects the way we experience place. Lastly, we'll examine the ways art has been increasingly enlisted to creatively address community problems.

In our examination of art and community, we'll give particular attention to the issue of audience, since this is a major concern for the creation and funding of contemporary and future work. We'll also interrogate the current disagreements about the purpose and definition of "art" by investigating some controversies surrounding public art works.

Required Texts:
Coursepack (available at Speedway Copy at Dobie Mall)
SF Express. Ruszkiewicz, Hairston, Friend ISBN:0131969862.