Delacruz Discovery 1

ART 199: Art, Community, and Global Civil Society

A University of Illinois Discovery Course Spring 2010
Working draft – subject to correction

Dr. Elizabeth M. Delacruz (Ph. D.)

Associate Professor of Art Education
Education Associate, Krannert Art Museum
Editor, Visual Arts Research
Research Fellow, Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society
118 Art and Design 333-0855 edelacru@illinois.edu me: http://tinyurl.com/edelacruz

Course Objectives

The purpose of Art, Community, and Global Civil Society is to promote thoughtful inquiry about
the manner in which art, cultural, and visual/aesthetic expressions convey and influence
multicultural community life in the U.S., to consider how communities are impacted by
globalizing tendencies, and to examine and embrace the goals and activities of global civil
society within real and virtual communities. Course content focuses on student educative and
creative experiences that facilitate their active engagement with the privileges, challenges, roles,
responsibilities that come with living in a democratic, culturally diverse society in an
increasingly technology-saturated, globalized world.

Toward this end, students participating in Art, Community, and Global Civil Society will study
aesthetic, cultural, historical, and political facets of contemporary art making practices and other
creative/cultural expressions among ethnically diverse communities within the United States and
abroad. Art/artifacts and other cultural practices will be studied as forms of communitarian
identity and solidarity, expressions of life narratives and worldviews, economic empowerment,
and personal and family histories and statements. Varied cultural and aesthetic expressions from
diverse cultural groups to be studied may include visual arts and architecture, myths, storytelling,
oral histories, and other literary forms of expression as well as selected aspects of material
culture (including but not limited to home décor, dress, domestic artifacts, educational products,
landscape and city planning, media culture, and forms of mass communication).

Students will also study local, regional, and global initiatives for social justice and change --
originating both within and outside of the arts. These include varied forms of local, regional,
national, and transnational social activism, public works, and third sector activities, as
individuals and cultural groups both integrate into and maintain their distinct identities within
larger communities, and as communities interact, influence, and are impacted in the global arena.

In conjunction with the study of diverse contemporary creative cultural expressions and
initiatives for social change, students will create, share, and critique individual and collaborative
art works, utilizing a variety of research, technology, and creative strategies, and engaging
course themes. Student artifacts and creative cultural expressions will convey their
understandings of issues relating to influences on personal and cultural identities, local social and
political structures and forces, governance, economic systems and conditions, spiritual beliefs
and practices, bioregional environmental contexts and issues, and initiatives for social justice.
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Course Description

Art, Community, and Global Civil Society meets twice a week for 1 and 1/2 hours per class
session. We first meet as an active-learning inquiry seminar, and quickly transform into a
technology based, research intensive, creative lab. Course content will be pursued through class
small-group inquiry activities, class discussions of selected readings, studio explorations,
independent student research projects, and student formal and informal presentations and
critiques. Art, Community, and Global Civil Society culminates in a student collaboratively
designed technology-dependent research project on topics of students’ choosing and that
emanates from course presentations, readings, discussions, and earlier research projects. A final
dissemination project replaces the final examination.

Partial List of Topics for Consideration: contemporary multicultural art practices; diverse and
hybridized cultural identities; social patterns underlying and creative solutions that engage
contemporary issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, and economic class;
problems and potential of the Internet, virtual communities, and new media/mass-communication
technologies in shaping 21st century life; the digital divide; media portrayals of ethnic groups;
global production and consumption; environmentalism; family identities, values and issues;
student identities and campus issues; and political and social action groups, public work, and
local and global civil society.

Course Requirements

Varied scholarly, creative inquiry assignments are planned throughout the semester and lead to
an extended collaborative research project utilizing commonly available electronic technologies.
All major research and creative assignments are given in writing with goals, requirements, and
criteria for evaluation (for grading purposes).

Readings and Written Responses (Artography* and Research Briefs* )

Readings accompany student research and studio projects. Students will link concepts and
issues within readings to their presentations, studio, and research projects. Reading
Responses readings will be submitted as Artography (image/text collages that probe issues),
accompanied by “Research Briefs” (critical information/focus points, with references).

*A/r/tography is a cool new research method pioneered by Rita Irwin, Stephanie

Springgay and others at Univ. British Columbia. I have adapted this method to this class
to position art as a form of systematic and creative inquiry about things that matter.

“Research Briefs” are one page content-rich condensed summations of important

information on specific topics. They are designed beautifully, visually appealing,
succinct, and informative. They may include visuals, and must include references.

In-Class Small Group Inquiries

In class group inquiry activities allow students to formulate and share insights, perspectives,
and experiences. During class time, students will work in small groups to solve problems,
Delacruz Discovery 3

and participate in role-playing and simulations that deal with concepts and issues related to
course topics. In class inquiries each culminate in informal student poster sessions and
presentations.

Short-Term Out of Class Research Projects

Students will be assigned short-term research problems (interviewing people, finding
material on the web, preparing questions, identifying local sites) that relate to the topics for
that week.

Collaborative and Independent Research, Creation of Visual Artifacts, and

Presentations of Research Findings. Students will work on both independent and
collaborative projects that engage concepts of cultural expression, identity, community,
social justice, and globalization. Students will create artworks, writings, videos, and
computer images that engage concepts and issues emanating from course content. Students
will submit to the instructor prior proposals and implementation plans for the creation of
these artifacts. Clear but flexible guidelines for each research project and assessment criteria
with student self-evaluation forms will be provided for major assignments.

Research Problems/Projects to be undertaken by students include:

Research on Cultural Expressions of Diverse Peoples: Students will collaboratively

conduct research on the contemporary artistic/cultural expressions of selected diverse
living cultural groups, with findings organized into a jointly given digital slide
presentation in class accompanied by a “research brief” (a short executive summary-
styled paper), giving a research synopsis and additional information about their study.

Media Studies and Civil Society: Students will independently undertake a critical
examination of how the mass media conveys political and cultural themes that impact
civil society, resulting in an individually created digital collage that juxtaposes media
imagery and texts against oppositional views generated through student independent
research on selected topics. Media Studies are accompanied by a research brief.

Family Oral Histories and Photographic Documentary: Students will independently

collect images and stories from 2-3 generations in their own families, including their
oldest living relative’s stories and their parents’ stories. Family photographs will also be
gathered and revisited. Students may create either a digital collage or a series of images
that are displayed together and that incorporate texts (stories and oral histories), altered
images, and new meanings. A written family narrative accompanies the studio work.

Extended Collaborative Research Project: Students will collaborate to undertake a

one-month technology dependent research project that examines a student-selected topic
emanating from this course. Formats of final presentations will be chosen by students and
may include digital video, web-design, photographic essay, digital collage, digital slide
presentation, and/or Artography. Students may also incorporate Service Learning into this
research project. Collaborative Research Projects are accompanied by a research brief.
Delacruz Discovery 4

Final Project. Students will share their course research, images, and multimedia artifacts
in a public way, chosen by each student. Possibilities for dissemination include but are
not limited to: an exhibition, blog, website, youtube video, newspaper article, etc.

Course Readings: Readings will include selected texts from on-line web sites. Students may
select from these offerings or find other online material that relates to topics being explored on a
given day.

Attendance and Deadline Policy

Attendance at all class meetings is mandatory. Absences are excused in accordance with the
UIUC Student Code of Conduct. Students wanting absences to be excused must request to be
excused in writing, prior to or on the day of the absence, if possible. All work is due by due
dates. Unexcused absences or work turned in late will result in lowered grades.

Course Evaluation and Grading

• This course presents opportunities for students to reflect on their strengths and improve in
targeted areas of their own intellectual and creative growth.
• Each assignment is to be thoughtfully completed and professionally presented for
evaluation on the due dates given on the course calendar.
• Formalized guidelines will be given for major assignments. A self-assessment form will
be provided, and must be completed by students and turned in with assigned work.
• An assignment checklist is provided so that students may track their own progress
throughout the semester. Students may e-mail or see me anytime for additional feedback.
• Full, on-time attendance, adequate and timely preparation for each class, and constructive
participation in class inquiries is expected of all.

Grading Weights for Course Requirements

Points / Percentages allocated to course requirements reflect the relative importance and amount
of time expected for each assignment. Using the point system and the course assignment check
list (provided), students may calculate their grade at anytime during the semester.

Points Requirements
10 pts / % Readings, Written Responses and Artographies, Short Term Out of Class Research
Projects (interviews), Short-Term Web Research Assignments (Web Finds)
20 pts / % Digital Presentation and Research Brief on Cultural Expressions of Diverse Peoples
15 pts / % Individually Conducted Media Study Artifact and Research Brief
15 pts / % Individually Created Family History Artifact and Narrative
30 pts / % Individual Contribution to and Overall Quality of Collaborative Research Project
10 pts / % Final dissemination of semester’s work
Expected Attendance, Punctuality, and Participation
Ext credit Additional Research, Creative works. With Prior Instructor Approval

Grading Scale 94-100 pts=A 86-94 pts =B 77-86 pts =C 70-76 pts =D Below 70 pts =F
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Art, Community, and Global Civil Society Assignment Checklist
This check list is completed by you and turned in on last class meeting of the semester
Your Name ____________________________________

Due Date Assignment Check or add

points when
artifacts or
assessment are
returned to you.
M Jan 25 RB or Artography: Globalization chapter and 2 Civil Society ____
readings

W Jan 27 RB or Artography: Activist Artists on the web readings ____

M Feb 1 RB or Artography: Cultural Creatives, Social Entrepreneurship, ____

Cosmopolitanism readings
W Feb 3 Krannert Art Museum – 2 object responses ____
____
Mon Feb 8 Interviews with public about art. Findings and summary. ____
W Feb 10 Proposal for Research on Culturally Diverse Artists ____
W Feb 17 Research Presentation on Culturally Diverse Artists ____
(PowerPoint) ____
Research Brief – one page handout printed for every classmate ____
Self Assessment form, filled out by you
W Feb 24 Proposal for Research Media Study ____
M Mar 8 Media Study Photoshop Collage due today ____
Research Brief – one page handout printed for every classmate ____
Media Study Self Assessment form, filled out by you ____
W Mar 17 Proposal for your Family Study ____
M Apr 5 Family Study Project due today ____
One page narrative – just one copy to Dr. D. ____
Family Study Project self-assessment form ____
W Apr 14 Project Plans for Collaborative Extended Research due today ____
– post to TwitDocs and send an email link to me ____
W Apr 21 Timesheet for past 7 days ____
W Apr 28 Timesheet for past 7 days ____
M May 3 Present Collaborative Research Projects ____
Printed One page Research Brief for all classmates ____
W May 5 Timesheet for past 7 days ____
W May 5 Final Assignment: Dissemination Information – how did you ____
share your work?
Extra Credits (u
tell me)
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Discovery 2007: Calendar of Activities and Due Dates

The bulleted texts below each date specify assignments that are due on those specific dates
Plan for about 4-6 hours of coursework outside of class time each week

Wed Jan 20
• Orientation

Mon Jan 25
 Readings: My Globalization paper and 2 free choice Civil Society writings
Write a one page Research Brief, summarizing main ideas (RB) or Create an Artful
Collage that conveys the ideas visually (Artography)

Wed Jan 27
 Social Justice oriented Activist Artists on the Web / Art & Cultural PACS
(RB or Artography)

Mon Feb 1
 Cultural Creatives, Social Entrepreneurship, Cosmopolitanism – Find and read any
two substantive articles that deal with any of these concepts (RB or Artography)

Wed Feb 3
 Krannert Art Museum Interpretive writings – Pick 2 works, one new, one old, 250
words per piece for a total of 500 words.

Mon Feb 8
 “What is art?” “What makes art special?” "Does controversial art serve the public
interest?" "Should taxpayer $ support the arts in the US?"(Interview 10 people. Share
your interview original findings & write a summary of what people believe)

Wed Feb 10
 Written Proposal for your Research on Culturally Diverse Artists. Due at the
beginning of class today – in writing: Artists names, list of resources, and your
organizing theme that related to contemporary civil society

Mon Feb 15
 In class studio working session. Be prepared in advance with your archived research
materials

Wed Feb 17
 Research presentations / PPTs on Culturally Diverse Living Activist Artists
 Also Make and print a one page Research Brief for every classmate
 Also Fill out and turn in your individual self-assessment forms after you present

Mon Feb 22
 Continue Research presentations on Culturally Diverse Artists

Wed Feb 24
 Continue Research presentations on Culturally Diverse Artists
 Media Study Proposals due (written) and list of research data obtained
Delacruz Discovery 7

Mon Mar 1
 In class studio working session for Media Study project. Be prepared in advance with
your archived research materials

Wed Mar 3
 In class studio working session for Media Study project. Be prepared in advance with
your archived research materials

Mon Mar 8
 Presentations: Images and research findings for your Media Study studio project
 Your Media Study Research Brief, printed for every classmate also due today
 Media Study Studio Project completed self-assessment form due also

Wed Mar 10
 Continue Media Study Presentations

Mon Mar 15
 Continue Media Study Presentations

Wed Mar 17
 Turn in your Family Study plans today
 Image Map of your life journey to UIUC (In-class Artography)

Mar 22&24 Spr Break – but talk to people and get images and documents if possible

Mon Mar 29
 In class studio working session for Family Study project. Be prepared in advance with
your archived research materials

Wed Mar 30
 In class studio working session for Family Study project. Be prepared in advance with
your archived research materials
Mon Apr 5
 Family Study Project presentations and one page written narrative or story,
 Self assessment form already filled out

Wed Apr 7
 Continue Family Study Presentations

Mon Apr 12
 Continue Family Study Presentations

Wed Apr 14
 Independent Team Meeting and Research day – I will be in Baltimore
 Project Plans for Extended Collaborative Research due to TwitDocs and Twitter link
due to me by email by 9 p.m. today.

Mon Apr 19
 In class working session for Collab research
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Wed Apr 21
 In class working session for Collab research
 Individual Weekly Timesheets for the past 7 days – need to see minimum of 6 out-of-
class hrs per person

Mon Apr 26
 In class working session for Collab research

Wed Apr 28
 In class working session for Collab research
 Individual Weekly Timesheets for the past 7 days – need to see minimum of 6 out-of-
class hrs per person

Mon May 3
 Presentations of Collab Research
 Start working on your Dissemination Requirement with your team (out-side of class
time)

Wed May 5
 Presentations of Collab Research
 Final Dissemination Requirement – Post to TwitDoc, FB, Blog site, exhibit, or
whatever, and share links w class
 Individual Weekly Timesheets for the past 7 days – need to see minimum of 6 out-of-
class hrs per person
 Brief course closure activities: ICEs and Suggestions

Exam Week – Loose ends, revised work for better grade, meetings with professor for addl help.
Delacruz Discovery 9
Reading Selections – use these or find your own that inform the topics that are on our calendar.
Some of these links may have expired. If you liked the topic and author – find another online.

Anheier, H., Glasius, M., & Kaldor, M. (Eds.). (2004). Global Civil Society 2004/5.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/yearbook04chapters.htm

Autio, E. (2005). GEM Report 2005. Retrieved April 3, 2009 from

http://www.gemconsortium.org/document.aspx?id=444

Barber, B. J. (2001). Jihad vs. McWorld: The Battle For Democracy.

http://www.democracycollaborative.org/publications/occasional/barberspeech.html
(Excerpted from Dr. Benjamin R. Barber's Civil Society Lecture, "The Second Front in the War
on Terrorism: Democratizing Globalism," delivered in September 2001 at the University of
Maryland. This text also appears as the new introduction to the latest edition of Dr. Barber's
book Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Reshaping the World.)

Bauwens, M. (2005). The political economy of peer production. 1000 DAYS OF THEORY, td026.
Retrieved from http://www.ctheory.net/printer.aspx?id=499

Breidenbach, J., & Zukrigl, I. (n.d.). The Dynamics of Cultural Globalization. The myths of cultural
globalization. http://www.inst.at/studies/collab/breidenb.htm

Bowles, S. (n.d.). Does Globalization Preclude Egalitarian Redistribution? Retrieved from the website
of the Democracy Collaborative.
http://www.democracycollaborative.org/publications/bowles.pdf

Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital. An Interview with Robert Putnam. (1995). The
National Endowment for Democracy and The Johns Hopkins University Press.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7EHYPER/DETOC/assoc/bowling.html

Boyte, H. C. (n.d.). Free Spaces and Craft Cultures: Civic Education as a Force for Democratic
Reconstruction. Retrieved August 17, 2006 from the website of the Democracy Collaborative
http://www.democracycollaborative.org/publications/boyte.pdf

Boyte, H. C. (2002). A different kind of politics: John Dewey and the meaning of citizenship in the 21st
Century. Waltham, MA: Civic Practices Network. Retrieved from
http://www.cpn.org/crm/contemporary/different.html

Bruyn, S. T. (2005). Civil society transcends right-left gap. The Christian Science Monitor, September
15, 2005. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0915/p09s01-coop.html

Center for Civil Society Studies, Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies Web site:
http://www.jhu.edu/~cnp

Connor, R. (1998). Introduction: The idea of a civil society. Retrieved from the website of the
Conference, The Idea of a Civil Society, held on November 1991 at the National Humanities
Center, Research Triangle Park NC.
http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/publications/civilsoc/civilsoc.htm

Delacruz articles and chapters: I will provide a link to all of these for online access.
Delacruz Discovery 10
Dees, J. G. (2001). The meaning of “Social Entrepreneurship”. Original Draft: October 31, 1998.
Reformatted and revised: May 30, 2001. Retrieved Nov. 6, 2007 from
http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/case/documents/dees_SE.pdf

The Democracy Collaborative. Theory and practice of civic globalism International Roundtable
Report. Retrieved from:
http://www.democracycollaborative.org/publications/intl_roundtable.pdf

de Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. (need original date, 1840s). Democracy in America,
ed. J.P. Maier, trans. George Lawrence (Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books, 1969)
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/toc_indx.html

Encarnación. O. G. (2003). Beyond Civil Society: Promoting Democracy after September 11. This
article is reprinted from the Fall 2003 issue of Orbis, FPRI’s quarterly journal of world affairs.
Retrieved August 17, 2006 from the website of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
http://www.fpri.org/pubs/orbis.4704.encarnacion.beyondcivilsociety.html

Falk, R. (2005). Civil Society Judges the Iraq War. Retrieved from the website of the Transnational
Foundation for Peace and Future Research, TFF
http://www.transnational.org/forum/meet/2005/Falk_IraqTribunal.html

Florida, R., Gates, G., Knudsen, B. & Stolarick, K. (2006). The university and the creative economy.
Retrieved April 3, 2009 from
http://www.creativeclass.org/rfcgdb/articles/univ_creative_economy082406.pdf

Foresta, D. (1995). World Trade, Media and Culture. TightRope (3). http://www.phil.uni-
sb.de/projekte/HBKS/TightRope/issue.3/text/world.html

Fronville. E. (2003). Report on the Proceedings of the UNESCO conference, “The International
Creative Sector: Its Dimensions, Dynamics, and Audience Development.” June 5 – 7, 2003.
The University of Texas at Austin. http://www.culturalpolicy.org/pdf/UNESCO2003.pdf.

Geremek, B. (1998). Civil society and the present age. Research Triangle Park, N. C.: National
Humanities Center. Retrieved from
http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/publications/civilsoc/geremek.htm

Green, D. G. (2000/2005). Civil Society: The Guiding Philosophy and Research Agenda of Civitas.
Retrieved from the website of Civitas: The Institute for the Study of Civil Society, London.
http://www.civitas.org.uk/books/cs02.php

Isaac, J. C. (2003). The State of Civil Society. Published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, April
11, 2003. Retrieved from the website of the Democracy Collaborative:
http://www.democracycollaborative.org/publications/books/isaac_041103.html

Korten, D. C. (2000). The civil society: An unfolding cultural struggle. Keynote address presented to
the Fourth International Conference of the International Society for Third-Sector Research in
Dublin, Ireland. July 5, 2000. Retrieved from:
http://www.cyberjournal.org/cj/authors/korten/CivilizingSociety.shtml

Korten, D., Perlas, N, & Shiva, V. (2002). Global civil society: The path ahead. The People-Centered
Development Forum. Retrieved from http://www.pcdf.org/civilsociety/path.htm
Delacruz Discovery 11

Lechner, F. (2000-2001). World Culture Theory. The Globalization Website, Emory University.
http://www.sociology.emory.edu/globalization/theories.html

Lechner, F. (2000-2001). World Polity Theory. Retrieved from The Globalization Website, Emory
University. http://www.sociology.emory.edu/globalization/theories.html

Lechner, F. (2000-2001). World Systems Theory. Retrieved from The Globalization Website, Emory
University. http://www.sociology.emory.edu/globalization/theories.html

Linda Frye Burnham (2002). The Artist as Activist.

http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2002/09/artist_as_activ.php

Lynch. R. (2008). Arts & economic prosperity III: The economic impact of nonprofit arts and culture
organizations and their audiences. Retrieved April 3, 2009 from
http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/research/services/economic_impact/default.asp

Ochieng, M. (2008). Social entrepreneurship and economic development. Presented at the SACOMA
World Entrepreneurship Summit 08, Nairobi, Kenya, May 26- 27, 2008. Retrieved April 3,
2009 from
http://www.sacomacfe.com/data/page/fck/File/WES08/MOSES%20OCHIENG%20=%20%20
Social%20Entrepreneurship%20and%20Economic%20Development.pdf

Rieff, D. (1999). The false dawn of civil society. The Nation (February 22, 1999 issue). Retrieved from
http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990222/rieff/

Said, Y. (2005). Global Civil Society: Oil and Activism (Chapter 4 of Global Civil Society 2004/5
Yearbook). Retrieved from the website of the London School of Economics Centre for the
Study of Global Governance.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/Publications/Yearbooks/2004/Chapter404.pdf

Seton, K. (1999). Fourth world nations in the era of globalisation: An introduction to contemporary
theorizing posed by indigenous nations. Retrieved from the Seton Center for World Indigenous
Studies Website: http://www.cwis.org/fwj/41/fworld.html

Sirianni, C. & Friedland, L. (n. d.). Civil Society. In Civic Dictionary. Retrieved from the website of
the Civic Practices Network Center for Human Resources, Heller School for Advanced Studies
in Social Welfare, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA.
http://www.cpn.org/tools/dictionary/civilsociety.html

United Nations Millennium Development Goals: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ -

Center for Democracy and Citizenship (2001). The concept and philosophy of public work.
Retrieved from the Center for Democracy and Citizenship website at
http://www.publicwork.org/1_2_philosophy.html

Venturelli, S. (n.d.) From the information economy to the creative economy: Moving culture to the
center of international public policy. Center for Arts & Culture Website, George Mason
University. http://www.culturalpolicy.org/pdf/venturelli.pdf

Warren, M. E. (n.d.). Civil Society and Good Governance. From the website of the Democracy
Collaborative http://www.democracycollaborative.org/publications/warren.pdf
Delacruz Discovery 12

Activist Arts on the Internet – this list is so short – I almost didn’t want to share it. Still, it’s a
start…

Yes magazine articles on activist artists – follow some links there.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1382

Schwartzman, M. (1993). It's about transformation: Thoughts on arts as social action High
Performance, 64, Winter 1993. Retrieved
from: http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/1999/12/its_about_trans.php

Cohen-Cruz, J. (n.d.). An introduction to community art and activism. Retrieved

from: http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2002/02/an_introduction.php

Burnham, L. F. (2002). The artist as activist. Retrieved August 11, 2006 from:
http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2002/09/artist_as_activ.php

Piper, A. (1981). Ideology, confrontation and political self-awareness. High Performance #13,
Vol. IV, No. 1, 1981. Retrieved from:
http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2002/09/ideology_confro.php

Articles about Arts and Activism:

http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/activism_all2/index.php
Under Fire. (2006) An exhibition at UIUC I-Space (gallery in Chicago). Under Fire presents a
discursive engagement with global militarization and political violence, incorporating
perspectives from multiple disciplines to explore the contemporary organization, representation
and materialization of war. Check out the artist links there.
http://www.art.uiuc.edu/projects/underfire/

Colvin, A. (n. d.). Global art and the Internet. Retrieved from:
http://members.aol.com/acecolvin/global.htm

websites and art projects that are relevant to new media: http://newmediafix.net/
Remix Theory/Remix Culture: http://remixtheory.net/?page_id=3

More Artists’ Web Sites of Interest

Eco and Land Artists: Nancy Holt, Andy Goldsworthy, Lynne Hull, Michael Heizer, Dennis
Oppenheim, Robert Morris, Robert Smithson, Merle Ukeles, Cristo and Jean Claude.
http://the-
artists.org/MovementView.cfm?id=3E8DA10D%2DFCCE%2D4975%2DA80DA11B65BC42
57

Collaboratives:
Guerrilla Girls: http://www.guerrillagirls.com/
RePo History: http://www.repohistory.org/
The Names Project: http://www.aidsquilt.org/
Collaborative Arts: http://www.collabarts.org/
Institute of Distributed Creativity: http://distributedcreativity.org
Critical Art Ensemble: http://www.critical-art.net/
the ZOOMQUILT - a collaborative art project: http://Zoomquilt.org
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Communimage http://www.communimage.ch/engl/, http://collabarts.org/

Installation and Collaborative Artists:

Peggy Diggs http://channel.creative-capital.org/grantee_200.html and
http://www.wavehill.org/arts/peggy_diggs.html

Performance Artists:
Laurie Anderson - http://www.laurieanderson.com/
Chris Burden - http://www.feldmangallery.com/pages/exhsolo/exhbur74.html
Suzanne Lacy - http://www.suzannelacy.com/index.htm
James Luna - http://www.jamesluna.com/

Digital Artists:
MIT Media lab aesthetics and computation group
http://acg.media.mit.edu/
Digital Art Source
http://www.digitalartsource.com/index2.shtml
Digital Art Museum (history, archive, essays, theory, pioneer artists from the early years)
http://www.dam.org/

Some Feminist Artists Sites:

Art Women http://www.artwomen.org/
Feminist Majority Foundation Artists http://www.feminist.org/arts/linkart.html
Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? By Linda Nochlin
http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/No-Great-Women-Artists.html
1001 Feminist Links And Other Interesting Topics
http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/index.html
who wants to be a feminist artist? by Helena Reckitt
http://www.ratsaladeluxe.com/ratsaladsite/reckitt.htm

Environmental art sites:

Eco Art Space
http://www.ecoartspace.org/
Women Environmental Artists Directory http://www.weadartists.org/
Green Museum of Environmental artists http://greenmuseum.org/
Land and Environmental Artists and Art
http://the-
artists.org/MovementView.cfm?id=3E8DA10D%2DFCCE%2D4975%2DA80DA11B6
5BC4257

Friend me in Facebook to link to about 100 Facebook artists I have friended over the past few
months. Many of these artists have wonderful work in their photo albums, and they are
very conversant!!
Delacruz Discovery 14
A/r/tography (Artist/Researcher/Teacher ) is a form of research that creatively synthesizes traditional
research, reflective writing, and artistic investigation/expression. inquiries. (See Irwin and others,
articles and on-line materials).

Artography links and readings (on-line, not in e-reserves)

Rita Irwin. (n.d.) A/r/tography Website. http://m1.cust.educ.ubc.ca/Artography/

Follow the Methodology on the main site. link, then go to the “Introduction” Link under
Methodology.

Under INTRODUCTION read (1) the Relational Inquiry slide presentation, and (2) the
Renderings slide presentation under Methodology/Introduction.
Direct Links to these two slide presentations:
http://m1.cust.educ.ubc.ca/Artography/data/ppt_relational.htm
http://m1.cust.educ.ubc.ca/Artography/data/ppt_renderings.htm

In the Methodology section, then go to the Renderings link, that will take you to an
internal A/r/tography A/r/tographical Inquiry section. Here’s a direct link:
http://m1.cust.educ.ubc.ca/Artography/art_inq.php

Stephanie Springgay (2003). “communities seeing themselves seeing: visual art as educational
research” . Interactive Symposium: Accountability and Quality in Arts-Based Research. American
Educational Research Association AERA Annual Meeting, April 21-25, 2003 in Chicago, IL.
Available at http://www.coe.iup.edu/kjkmoran/communities%20aera4.htm

For each a/r/tography, choose a topic for inquiry. Do some research on that topic. Hand-write a
reflective personal narrative commentary summarizing your understanding, inquiries, and findings on
that topic. Gather, create, and integrate images, photos, and graphic symbols that embody, express, and
further explore or support your inquiry on the topic. Metaphor and symbolism are encouraged.
Combine visuals and texts into a layout that functions as unified works of art. You may do the entire
Artography in PhotoShop or Digital Video, or use glue paste, color pencils, markers, watercolor, and
any other materials you like.

See Rebecca Plummer Rohloff’s Imaginarium for some wonderful ideas for one and two page
artographies done in a sketchbook style. http://rprgallery.com/
 Delacruz Discovery 15
PowerPoint Research and Presentation on Culturally Diverse Artists & Artisans

Select multicultural artists/artisans, imagery, and content that support your interests and future research in
this course. Create a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation that includes 15 to 20 images by contemporary
culturally diverse artists. Put PPT Presentation on a CD, and send an extra copy to your Netfiles folder.

1. Select works by contemporary (living) ethnically diverse American artists/artisans. Artists from other
countries may be included along with U.S. artists (see Dr. D.). Presentations must include at least 2-3
artists of color and at least 2 – 3 female artists or artisans.

2. Art/artifacts selected for your presentation may include visual arts and architecture, as well as other
forms of material culture (such as home décor, dress, domestic artifacts, landscape and city planning,
built environments, mass-media, and forms of communication). Artifacts may convey myths, oral
histories, cultural themes and experiences, social issues, and other content/meanings.

3. Organize your presentation around a Theme or Issue.

4. Use Texts judiciously and minimally to add information that supports your presentation. The images
and your oral presentation ( you must use notes) should carry the presentation.

Themes in the Humanities Social Issues

Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Human rights/Equity
Cycles of Life and Death Ignorance, illiteracy
Myths, Stories, and Rituals Racism/Sexism/Homophobia
Creation, Afterlife War / Poverty
Human relationships The health care crisis
Power and Beauty Urban blight, Environmentalism
The Journey/ Transformation Globalization
Nature/Mechanization Religious intolerance, God Politics
The Cosmos/ The Future Polarization/Balkanization of society
Aspirations, Dreaming, Fantasy Mass culture, deterritorialized citizenship
Hybridized identities

Organize images and texts into a PowerPoint Presentation with the following:

Quality of imagery: highest quality images accurate artist reproductions, images take up most of
each slide frame, no pixilation, fuzzy unfocused images, dark or too light images, or distortions.
(Minimal texts)

Images should have captions that identify the creator, title, media, size, location, and date. Captions
are smaller fonts than other texts.

Design and layout of each slide are well composed, visually compelling, designed for aesthetic
quality and high readability. Use same image sizes and font face throughout.

Slide presentation from beginning to end has visual continuity and flows smoothly.

Include a Reference slide (works sited, web pages referenced) at the end of your presentation.

Practice your presentation out loud a couple times. Plan for 10 - 15 minutes (about 1 minute of you
talking per slide). TIME the presentation for more than 15 minutes. Really – 15 minutes MAX.
Delacruz Discovery 16
Artists – a totally inadequate and partial list of places to start looking….

 Native American Artists  The Art of Protest: Any Issue

 Asian American Artists  Activist Artist Collaboratives
 African American Artists  Feminist Art and Artists
 Chicano/Chicana Art Movement  Prison Art
 Latino/Latina art  Vietnam and Gulf War Art
 The Harlem Renaissance  Virtual Art/ Digital Art/Video Art
 African American Artists  Graffiti Art
 Third World folk and tourist art from Africa or  Body Art
Latin America  Religious art: Combines historical (traditional)
 Land art/earthworks/environmental art and contemporary artworks of any
 Performance art religious/cultural group

Self-Assessment Form. Each individual must tear this off, fill out completely on your own, and
turn in on presentation day with your CD and your Research Brief.

Your name _________________ Teammate(s) name(s) _____________________________

Presentation Topic _____________________________ Date _________________

What did you like best/learn most from doing this project?

What could Dr. D. do to make this a better, more engaging, or more meaningful assignment?

Please give the names and ethnic backgrounds of all artists in your PPT presentation:

Discuss the quality of imagery shown in your PPT presentation (clear, bright, highly focused, not too
light or dark images):

PPT presentation includes captions that identify artists, titles, media, dates, etc? ____ (Y/N)
Oral presentation reflects substantive research on and clear understanding about each piece shown?
__________ (Y/N) References provided? __________ (Y/N)
Presentation ready by deadline? __________ (Y/N) You practiced and timed the Presentation before
class? _____ (Y/N) The presentation took between 15 and 20 minutes during class? _____ (Y/N)

Briefly describe your contribution to this research project:

Suggest the # of points you think you have earned for this project ______ (15 points max)

Other comments you wish to have considered for your points earned/grade on this project:
Delacruz Discovery 17
Media Studies and Civil Society
Text/Image Collage using PhotoShop tools

1. Create a visually compelling, high quality, artfully- crafted Digital Collage that brings together
your research and findings, that includes both texts and images, that makes a bold statement about
something important, that contains subtle or paradoxical content for further consideration, and that
engages viewers visually, intellectually, and emotionally.

2. Write and Design a one page Research Brief to accompany your image. Make a copy of your
Research Brief for all of your classmates.

Choose a topic inspired by this course to examine further. Find material (images, news writings,
scholarly texts, mass media material, statements by ordinary people) that engages that topic. Shoot,
create, and find images that connect/dispute media portrayals. Compose/develop your own texts (based
on your research). Use irony, parody or satire. Juxtapose unexpected images, assert opposite meanings,
exaggerate, inspire others, raise questions, and stir up reactions. Choose an approach/topic from the list
below or propose something better (you must get advance approval, regardless of the topic). The ideas
below are starters, you may modify them to suit your research and creative goals.

 Sound-bites and Stereotypes

Screen shots of mass communication media portrayals of a cultural group (TV, or Internet Images, or
UTube); Talk radio transcripts on any topic relating to (Civil) Society or social activists or cultural
groups. Research the topic further (background, history, statistics). Talk back in an “Artography”
collage.

 The Cost of Goods Sold

Look at major transnational companies’ advertisements on line (Coca Cola, Nike, Exxon, Abercrombie,
Citibank, Viacom, etc). Research that company further. Find out about who produces the goods being
sold, and who consumes them. Juxtapose (1) and (2) below, using and altering images and texts from
on-line advertisements along with images and texts from your additional research.
(1) “Cool Factor” in ads; Power and Beauty; Race and Class; Sex/Seduction/Desire as tools for
manipulation of consumer; Extreme or In-Your-face tactics; etc. See Adbusters or “Merchants of
Cool” websites for more ideas.
(2) texts (data) and images from countries where products being sold are actually made: include
environmental impact, wages, working conditions, salaries of CEOs, maps, transportation systems to
move goods from one place to another.

 Family Values 101

Examine on-line material about family issues (teen pregnancy, promiscuity, marriage, sexual
orientation, living wage, healthcare, childcare, safe neighborhoods, good schools - whatever), Research
family values, obtain data on families (statistics), find images of family in the media, such as TV
programs that portray families. Look at different genres in TV. Conduct an analysis of family
structures, roles, gender, class, race, and sexuality as presented in that genre. Identify writers of this
material and their agendas. Probe the issues further. Examine competing views. Create a collage that
presents oppositional views.

 The Internet: Global Civil Society in Cyberspace

Research PACs, Zines, and Blogs and On-Line communities that are engaged in public work/civic
improvement. Examine issues they are tackling. Call, e-mail, TM, IM, interview someone from the
organization. Research their issues further. Create a collage of themes, issues, and actions.
Delacruz Discovery 18
Media Studies and Civil Society
Self-Assessment Form

Your name_________________________
Your Topic/Theme _________________________

What makes your completed work visually compelling?

What makes your completed work high quality – visually, conceptually, and technically?

In what ways was your work artfully- crafted?

Briefly explain the research you conducted and list some of the images, news writings, scholarly texts,
mass media material, statements by ordinary people that you collected or consulted.

In your image - How did you incorporate both texts and images in such a way that they went together
well (visually and conceptually)?

In your image - What was your bold statement about something important?

In your image - How would this work inspire others, raise questions, and stir up reactions?

In your image - How did you also incorporate subtle or paradoxical content for further consideration?
(use of irony, parody or satire, juxtaposing unexpected images, asserting opposite meanings,
exaggerating)

Talk about your Research Brief in terms of the quality of its content, relevance, design, & layout:

In points, assess the overall quality of your completed work in terms of visual quality of the artifact,
quality of the underlying research that contributed to this artifact, and the power of the statement made.
___________ points (up to 15 points).

How could Dr. D. make this a better or more successful project for future students?
Delacruz Discovery 19
Family Oral History & Photo Documentary
Digital Photo Collage or Documentary Series of Images using PhotoShop Tools

Create a Digital Collage or a Series of images that represent your family history. Do some family
research. Re-create stories, re-present that history.

• Re-Tell your family story

• Re-contextualize your family stories within a larger context (such as community,

nationality, geography, religious beliefs, migrations, aspirations, occupations, whatever
you choose as appropriate)

• Show your place within your family scheme/structure/stories

• Ask questions, uncover hidden meanings, suggest new meanings and new histories

Steps:

1. Oral History and reflection: Collect stories from 2-3 generations in your family. Talk to your
oldest living relatives and get their stories. Get your parents’ stories. Write down what they
say. Better yet – video or audio tape them, and transcribe. Things to think about as you work
from transcripts:
• When, how, where, why did your family come to live in the U.S.?
• What makes your family a family?
• Where do you fit into this scheme?
• What are your future family aspirations?

2. Family Photographs revisited: Gather images from your family’s past – 2 -3 generations back
if available, or from your own immediate family. Scan selected images for use in this project,
and return originals to their proper location.
• Who is portrayed? Who took them and why?
• When and where were they taken? What do these images reveal? What do they
conceal?

3. Using your oral histories and images gathered, create either a PhotoShop collage (a single
image, any size) that incorporates both images and texts; or a Photo-Documentary-styled Series
of single images (any size, and number) that are displayed along side one another with
extended captions (your research and insights). Series images and captions are displayed
together (either physically or digitally). B & W or color – you decide. Hand colored or
digitally colored B & W also o.k.
Delacruz Discovery 20
Family Oral History & Photo Documentary
Self-Assessment form
Your Name_____________________________

What was your concept for this project? (your overall theme and idea)

Who in your family did you interview?

What interesting new information did you learn from this interview?

Briefly list and describe your project goals and procedures (what specific tasks you had to
successfully accomplish):

Discuss technical problems encountered and how you resolved those problems.

What did you like best about your project results?

What would you do over, do differently, or add to this project is given more time?

Assess the quality of your visual imagery in terms of design, layout, visual attractiveness, technical
competence, good use of PhotoShop, collage techniques, use of text, and craftsmanship:

How did your written narrative enrich this project?

How many points do you think your work deserves and why? _________ (15 pts max)

What could Dr. D do to make this a more successful project for future students?
Delacruz Discovery 21
Extended Research Technology-Dependent Project
(Theme Derived from course themes)

Choose one or two other teammates to collaborate with, choose a topic for research, and decide how
you will gather and present your findings.

• Due date is on the calendar. Make it a feasible project within the time limitations! Start
now.

• Requires a minimum of 6 hours per team member of out of class time for research. In class
time is for training, development, assistance, and work on presentation materials.

• Must collaborate….collaboration takes coordination and compromise, and tons of personal

responsibility. Establish a team leader. Define roles. Everyone contributes fairly according
to his or her unique talents.

• Everyone documents their out of class work and time spent onto weekly timesheets.
Everyone sees each other’s timesheets.

Topics possible (many others are acceptable):

 Issue study: Choose an issue or two as they interrelate and conduct your study: cultural
identities; Gender, Race, and Class study, as they interrelate/overlap; war; third world
economic development; food and health; environment; access to education; immigration;
campaign finance reform; religious freedom; universal human rights; postcolonial Africa, Latin
Americas, The Pacific Rim, Imperialism, Populations and Migrations, World Religions, God
Politics, other (you propose an issue). Must include how artists address these issues.
 Local Site study: CU, my dorm, hometown, or neighborhood interface between cultural and
built environment: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Be creative! Present findings visually as
well as with words and numbers (data).
 Self-Identity study: What does it mean to be an American? Presentation is comprised of DV
or still images, from interviews you conduct, and from scholarly/cultural research on the
American experiences of diverse peoples. Include culturally diverse artists’ views on this topic.
(need an IRB Release form for this)
 Student Study: Student Rituals and Rites of Passage; Student as consumer; Student as
commodity; Youth as Political Activist(?)Voter; student as the future. Idealized Youth…
 Consumerism 101: Study of food, clothing, gadgets, books, transportation, vacations, etc. as
forms of cultural expression. Include artists’ views.
 Campus issues: UIUC investments in the Global Economy; freshman issues; dorm life issues;
Chief issues; Global Campus issues…you define the issues. Be creative! Present findings
visually as well as with words and numbers (data).
 Global Citizenship: Investigate sites, activities, people, movements…local, regional, global.
Include artists’ views. Or develop and implement a Service Learning project.
Delacruz Discovery 22
Extended Research Technology-Dependent Project
Research Approaches Possible (you may suggest others)

(1) Digital Video Project: Issues for Global Civil Society

Take on an issue of global/local importance and examine that issue from a variety of
perspectives. Research background information about the issue, interview and film people who
are knowledgeable about the issue, interview and film everyday people to find out their views,
take and find moving and still images that further examine your topic visually/aesthetically.
Find out what artists are doing in this area. Integrate your research, interviews, imagery into a
hyperlinked study presented in PowerPoint, iMovie, or a Web-page interface. Provide citations
as you would for a research paper.

(2) Alternative to Digital Video

A Picture is Worth 150 Words: Create a photo essay (photo-journalistic). Create a 10 image
series (PhotoShop enhanced B & W or color images) that create a visual narrative. Each image
contains your own texts that integrate with the imagery, and each image is accompanied with a
150-word commentary that describes the issue under investigation. The 150 word descriptions
give background data & statistics, interview information, questions raised, and possible
solutions. Physically display or set up your series in PowerPoint for sequence. Provide citations
as you would for a research paper.

(3) Technology-dependent Service Learning Project

Identify a local organization or civic group addressing an issue relating to Globalism or Civil
Society through community action. Conduct research. Interview someone from that
organization. Print and archive interview findings onto your binder. Get involved in that
organization in a way that benefits them (volunteering for events and organizational needs,
doing research for them, preparing technology-dependent materials for them (PowerPoint or
downloadable materials for their web, desktop published documents, web design, etc, to be
negotiated). Document your work and findings. Create and display an Artography exhibit about
this organization (Images, research, texts). Make them a website if they don’t have one. Create
fliers for them if they need some.

Ingredients for success:

• personal interest in the topic, personal responsibility, openness to new ideas

• commitment to high quality, willingness to fully engage

• feasibility, planning, time management, coordination with team mates

• ability to be selective, ability to focus, prioritize, and synthesize

• utilization of good design principles, attention to quality of visual information

• Ability to identify resources and seek expert assistance

Delacruz Discovery 23
Extended Research Technology-Dependent Project
Individual Self-Assessment form (Due at end of semester with your DVD)
Your name ________________________________
Topic _____________________________________
Teammates’ names ___________________________________________________________

Describe the project theme (content) and goals briefly:

Describe your contribution to the team effort; include your total hours spent outside of class, and what
you did:

Discuss the final work your team produced and presented to class in terms of the quality of the research,
visual material, presentation of issues and findings, technical competence, and craftsmanship:

What would you (just you) do over, better, or differently, if given more time?

How could the team have performed better?

What did you like best about the project and the final product?

How can Dr. D. make this a more successful and meaningful activity for future students?

Assess the quality of the final group work presented, giving the final work itself up to 15 pts_______.
Assess the quality of your individual contribution to the project, giving yourself up to 15 pts. ____.

Add any other comments you want Dr. D. to think about below.