Public Humanities

This hybrid course—part seminar, part practicum—will introduce students to the theory and practice of Public Humanities. Students will work closely with the instructor—and BGC Director of Public Humanities + Research—as well as exhibition curators in the design of events, interactives, and educational materials for BGC exhibitions in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, including “Peace, Power and Prestige: Metal Arts in Africa,” “Sonia Delaunay: Designing a Life, Sculpture at Sèvres,” “Welcome to the Dolls’ House,” and “(Re)Dressing the American Body.” This course will begin with a survey of public humanities theory and practice, and will then move, week by week, between three modes: (a) the aforementioned design lab; (b) a critical theory seminar, focusing specifically on frameworks that complicate how we consider the role of public humanities, including posthumanism and post-postmodernism, feminist cyborg theory, border gnoseology, flow, and game design; and (c) a series of skills-building workshops in contracting, project budgeting, and copywriting. Course assignments will be iterative and will all scaffold a major course project: a thoughtfully articulated exhibition program plan—including a rationale, marketing copy, contract templates, project timelines and budgets—delivered both as a written proposal and an in-class presentation. 3 credits.