spring 2008
ARC 350R/386M:
Collecting, Curating, Displaying: Museum as Project
Instructor:
Louise Harpman
This course examines the dynamic institution that we know as a museum. The relationship between a collection and its curators will be a central issue, as well as the role of the patrons and donors within any particular social and political climate. Readings are drawn from a wide variety of disciplines, including architecture, art history, anthropology and sociology. The course also addresses the architecture of museums, and how the relationship between the contents and the container have changed over time.
Students will be assigned readings throughout the semester. Open discussion and structured "response papers" will take place on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Site visits to various University and local museums, including the Blanton Museum of Art, the Texas Memorial Museum, the Alexander Architectural Archive, and arthouse will occur throughout the semester. Guest lectures by museum curators and scholars will also contribute to the dialogue within the class. Students will be encouraged to explore one or more areas of particular interest throughout the semester, to develop original research papers or design projects that will be presented at the end of the semester.