HA 706/906 Seminar in American Art

This seminar critically explores the foundation and development of museums in the United States, considering how issues around race and class have determined how their role in society has been constructed over time. We will also consider contemporary issues in US museum culture, especially calls for decolonization and the modern labor movement. Through course readings, class discussion, independent student research, and a collaborative digital humanities project, the class will connect a historic understanding of museums in American society to the present-day state of the field.

HA 706 and HA 906 are concentrated studies of a specific topic in art history. These courses may be repeated for credit if content varies. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.