MuseumEducation/Interpretation

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will examine museum exhibitions that have created public controversy in the twentieth and twenty-first century. Through case studies, we will analyze recent exhibitions at major American museums including Harlem on My Mind (1969) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Perfect Moment (1989) at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, The West As America (1992) at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Sensation (1999) at the Brooklyn Museum, and Hide/Seek (2010) at the and National Portrait Gallery. In addition to exploring these exhibitions, the class will investigate recent controversial exhibitions and art actions from the perspective of the curator and the visitor. The course will include field trips and independent study at the Archives of American Art as well as meetings with those involved in several of the case study exhibitions. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of cultural insensitivities from the perspective of an institution while exploring the responsibilities of museums to the public.