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This is a course in applied critical writing about arts and culture, with an emphasis on “re-viewing”: first, in the traditional sense of reviewing the arts through written accounts and second, in the contextual sense of re-viewing the arts in an attempt to illuminate the way in which art both informs and reflects society and culture. Students will combine both theory and practice of re-viewing and writing about arts and culture through weekly readings, in-class writing workshops, active discussion, and take-home writing assignments. By examining and discussing important issues, controversies, and theories around how we view and re-view arts and culture, students will apply what they learn to their written reviews of various art forms.

Prerequisites: English Composition II / * An unbridled passion and enthusiasm for the arts and the firm conviction that art matters and must be discussed.

Course Rationale: This course is for students who want to express themselves more cogently about the works of art they love – and those they don't. Regardless of a student's chosen major/concentration, criticism plays a significant role in both the production and reception of all art. In addition to introducing students to critical discourse in a variety of fields, this course helps students to creatively and effectively apply the forms, critical skills, and cultural contexts of criticism to their area of interest.

Goals and Objectives: The overall goal of this course is to give students the critical and creative tools with which to examine, discuss, and understand the art of others, and be prepared to apply what they learn to their own creative vision and expression. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Select and analyze evidence, utilize effective and imaginative descriptive language, further develop their personal style of writing, and construct interpretive and evaluative arguments of increasing quality.

• Write and think critically about the interdisciplinary nature of the production and reception of art.

• Demonstrate how formal and aesthetic qualities of art produce meaning.

• Understand the ways in which cultural artifacts shape, and are shaped, by their historical and cultural context.

Format: The class has a lecture/discussion/workshop format. Class readings include selected essays from the texts, handouts, and texts that will be available online to print and read. Each class will involve: 1) discussion of assigned reading and 2) critique and discussion of student response assignments made by the instructor. We will also be viewing videos excerpts and making a few field trips (TBD) to art exhibits, performing arts events, or readings.

Weekly Response Assignments: Twice weekly, you will be responsible for contributing your thoughts, reflections, ideas, mini-reviews, and responses to readings, class discussions, projects, and events online at the CLASS BLOG. OR, instead of blogging, you might be asked to compose a typed responses based on guided assignments from the instructor. These regular responses will give you many opportunities to reflect upon the reading, help you further develop your own insights about aesthetics and culture, and hone your critical thinking and (creative) writing skills.

** If, for any reason, you are unable to get online to the blog to post your response, you must still turn it in. I prefer you email it to me, and I will post on the blog; but if internet connection is your issue, I will accept a typed response in class on date due.

In both cases (whether online blog or written turned in responses), they must be done and either online or in the teacher's hands by the beginning of the class period they are due. LATE RESPONSES (either in the blog or typed) will not be accepted.

If, for some reason, you must miss class one day, you must still blog or e-mail your response assignment to me by the beginning of class time the day it is due. These weekly response assignments will cumulatively count as 25% of your final grade. Not turning them in will quickly lower your entire final grade (you may think that not turning in a few here and there won't hurt your overall grade, but believe me, it can have a HUGE impact on your final grade).

Presentations: At the beginning of the semester, you will be assigned a date on which you must do a presentation of your written review of a Columbia College Chicago art or media piece that you have chosen, focusing on its aesthetics, form/style, and how it reflects, informs, or contradicts what we have read and/or discussed up to that point (up to the date of your presentation). You may choose to review the work of any alumni, faculty, staff, student, student group, or gallery exhibition, dance performance, and so forth, but you must choose the work of someone from the Columbia College Chicago community (outside of those in our class). This review will count as 15% of your final grade. For more details on this assignment, click here.

Written Reviews: You will write two written reviews of approximately 4-5 pages. I am more interested in the quality of your reviews than the quantity of pages. I will discuss and post the details of each review a few weeks before the date they are due. Reviews must be typed and double-spaced, with standard margins. Each review will count as 25% of your total grade. If you do not hand in EACH of these two reviews, you will not pass the course. I will accept late final papers, but a full letter grade (without plus and minus's) will be taken off for EVERY DAY (not every class day) it is late. Letter grades on your papers will be based on the following: originality; creativity; some utilization of concepts learned in class; a critical and interpretive approach to the subject; development of a personal style of writing; construction of argument; and overall clarity. I will go over all of this in more detail before your first review assignment. As you generate strategies for writing and revision this semester, keep in mind that I look for papers that demonstrate your own thoughts, not what you think I might want to read.

Required Text and Materials:

Berger, Maurice. Crisis of Criticism. All other reading materials will be provided to you, either as handouts or accessed on the class or blog website, so you do not need to buy any books or materials.

Grade Distribution & Grading Scale:

Weekly Response Assignments – 35%
Review #1 – 25%
Review #2 – 25%
Oral Presentation – 15%

A

94-100

A-

90-93

B+

87-89

B

84-86

B-

80-83

C+

77-79

C

74-76

C-

70-73

D

60-69

F

59 & below

Participation: Attendance is required – both physically and mentally. You are expected to take an active role in class discussions and online. Also, please make sure your phone is off or on buzz (and buried deep inside your backpack), so it’s not heard while in class. Your participation and attendance in this class will account for 10% of your grade.

Attendance: You are allowed only two absences during the semester, though each time you are absent, you miss a lot of in-class discussion that may affect your overall performance. Furthermore, if you are absent from class, you are responsible for making sure that you have all the information you need (so exchange information with another student in the class). Also note that for each time you come to class ten minutes late or more OR leave ten minutes or more early, you will be charged with a ½ absence. Only two such instances of being tardy or leaving early will quickly result in one full absence!

If you accumulate more than your allotted absences, it WILL impact your final grade.

Academic Integrity: The Columbia College Chicago Catalogue states that "The College prohibits the following conduct: all forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating; plagiarism; knowingly furnishing false information to the College; forgery; alteration or fraudulent use of College documents, instruments, or identification." If you misrepresent another's ideas and/or written work as your own, then you will earn an "F" for the course. Academic dishonesty is not worth the penalty it incurs, so don’t do it!

Conaway Center Statement: Students with disabilities are requested to present their Columbia accommodation letters to their instructor at the beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be arranged in a timely manner by the College, the department or the faculty member, as appropriate. Students with disabilities who do not have accommodation letters should visit the office of Services for Students with Disabilities in room 520 of the Congress building (312.344.8134/V or 312.360.0767/TTY). It is incumbent upon the students to know their responsibilities in this regard.