Course Details

This hands-on studio art course explores the creative practice as a political act. We will retrace the story of 3 historic milestones in the contemporary visual art: Black Mountain College, a revolutionary art school in the early part of the 20th century; the impact of textile practices on the artworld during the social movements of 1960-80’s; and emerging DIY/hacker practices in our contemporary techno-culture.

Through one in-depth research project and one hands-on making project, we will explore the web of connections between the political and the personal, technology and tradition, design, craft, and collaboration. We will consider interdisciplinary maker-culture both through individual personal narratives of the makers and in the larger cultural, political, and socio-economical context of our world.

The course is OFFERED VIA REMOTE LEARNING, but will meet synchronously to maximize our connected hands-on learning experience and feedback from peers and the instructor. During our class meeting times, expect lively discussions in small and large groups, demos of making processes, various guest speakers from the art world, virtual field-trips during which we encounter a variety of art, cultural and social spaces. The outcome of this class is a co-authored e-book (culmination of research on practicioners whose work promotes positive change) and one personal artwork. 

There are no textbooks required for the class. All readings will be provided online through the UW Library System and Canvas. Students will be asked to provide a basic set of art materials and tools for their personal art project. Expect to spend $10-40 on those, depending on your project idea, the scope of the project, and already available resources.