Myths of American West

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This is the second in a series of Georgetown Dialogue Initiative courses exploring fault lines in American identity through the history of American art/culture. This semester's focus on ideas of "the West," does several things: it surveys Western American art over two centuries in a way suitable for those with no art history or history background; it critically explores points of divergence in the discipline, history, andrhetorics of Americanness; and it provides a discussion-oriented space for conversation and reflection around challenging topics. Themes include: Indigenous American art, “cowboy" genre painting, colonial/postcolonial narratives, the emergence of photography, kitsch and the tourist trail, Los Angeles and San Francisco as cultural/financial hubs, fascinations with the Southwest and Earthworks, and the rise of a West Coast art world.