Public Art in America... From Monuments to the Monumental

What is the role of the monument in American culture? Whether monuments stand, are defaced, or destroyed, public art has profound social and political implications. Studying the complicated narrative of public art is one way to uncover the histories, social conflicts, and the aspirations of a nation.

This is an introductory course on American public art and monuments. We will explore the international influences and distinctly American elements of famous public artworks found across the United States. We will examine historical and contemporary American public art from the Statue of Liberty to Kehinde Wiley’s Rumors of War to give students a firm understanding of public space, public art, and the greater American visual landscape.

This 5-week course will meet weekly for 1.5 hours on Zoom for seminar style, discussion-based learning. Additional resources, assignments and communication are on the learning management system Canvas. Students will be required to do weekly readings or viewings to prepare for the class sessions, as well as a short presentation and a cumulative short essay.

Students may take this course in combination with “Public Art in America: Landscapes and Cityscapes” to earn 1.0 college credit, or this course can stand alone as a no-credit course.