Week Dates Required Readings Assignments / Notes

Unit 1 Museum as a Contested Site

Transforming and Politicizing the American Museum
First Amendment Issues
1 6/11 Introductory Materials: 1) Discussion Forum
Part 1A—initial posts (Tuesday June 12)
o Unit 1 PowerPoint Presentation: Museums and Controversy Part 1A—response posts (Thursday June 14)
o Harris, Neil. “Museums and Controversy. Some Introductory
Introduction Post (Friday June 15)
Reflections,” The Journal of American History, Vol. 82, No. 3 (Dec., 1995),
2) Article Response #1
pp. 1102 – 1110.
Due (Sunday June 17)

Museum as a Contested Site

Textbook:

o Kammen, Michael. Visual Shock. A History of Art Controversies in

American Culture (Vintage Books, 2006).
o Introduction, pp. xi – xxxvi.
o Chapter Eight: “The Art Museum Transformed,” pp. 254 – 304.
o Dubin, Steven C. Displays of Power. Controversy in the American Museum
from the Enola Gay to Sensation (New York University Press, 1999).
Introduction: “Museums as Contested Sites,” pp. 1 – 17.
o Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images. Impolitic Art and Uncivil
Actions (Routledge, 1992). Chapter One: “The Politics of Diversion,” pp.
12 – 25.

Article:

o Messer, Thomas. “What Should a Museum Be?” Art in America 49, no. 2
(1961).
 Transforming and Politicizing the American Museum

Textbook:

o Dubin, Steven C. Displays of Power. Controversy in the American Museum

from the Enola Gay to Sensation (New York University Press, 1999).
Chapter Two: “Crossing 125th Street: Harlem on My Mind Revisited,” pp.
18 – 63.
o Kammen, Michael. Visual Shock. A History of Art Controversies in
American Culture (Vintage Books, 2006). Chapter Five: “Art Politicized:
Ideological Issues,” pp. 149 – 180.

2 6/18 First Amendment Issues. Freedom of Expression. Indecency and Obscenity 1) Discussion Forum
Limitations. Censorship and Prior Restraint Part 1B—initial posts (Tuesday June 19)

Textbook: Part 1B—response posts (Thursday June21)

2) Case Study #1
o Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images. Impolitic Art and Uncivil Due (Friday June 22)
Actions (Routledge, 1992). Chapter Two: “The Bachelor Stripped Bare,”
pp. 26 – 43.
o Rothfield, Lawrence. Unsettling Sensation. Arts-Policy Lessons from the
Brooklyn Museum of Art Controversy (Rutgers University Press, 2001). Part
II: “Art and the First Amendment,” pp. 29 – 71 (four articles by four
authors).

Article:

o Heins, Marjorie. Sex, Sin, and Blasphemy: A Guide to America’s

Censorship Wars (The New Press, NY, 1993). Chapter I: “Obscenity: The
First Amendment’s Second-class Citizen,”pp. 15 – 38.
 Unit 2- Nationalism and Ideology Affecting Art
Social Construction of Acceptability
Representation of Sexual Minorities
Government and the Arts Controversy, Government and the Question of Taxpayers’ Money

3 6/25 Nationalism and Ideology Affecting: Art Dissent and Desecration 1) Discussion Forum
Textbook: Part 2A—initial posts (Tuesday June 26)
Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images. Impolitic Art and Uncivil Part 2A—response posts (Thursday June 28)
Actions (Routledge, 1992).
 Chapter Five: “Rally ‘Round the Flag,” pp. 102 – 2) Article Response #2
124.
Due (Friday June 29)
Articles:
Baldwin, Carl R. “Art & the Law: The Flag in Court Again,” Art in America,
62 (June 1974), pp. 50-54.
Vanesian, Kathleen. “Deja Wow: Red, White and Snooze,” Phoenix New
Times, April 4, 1996.
Kiefer, Michael. “Tempest in a Toilet Bowl,” Phoenix New Times, June 6,
1996.
Duncan, Michael. “Kienholz’s Finale,” Art in America, 83 (June 1995), pp. 96
- 99.
Bolton, Richard (ed.) Culture Wars: Documents from the Recent
Controversies in the Arts (New Press, New York, 1992), pp. 114 – 117.
Social Construction of Acceptability. Representation of Sexual Minorities
Textbook:
Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images. Impolitic Art and Uncivil
Actions (Routledge, 1992). Chapter 7: “Gay Images and the Social
Construction of Acceptability,” pp. 159 – 196.
Kammen, Michael. Visual Shock. A History of Art Controversies in American
Culture (Vintage Books, 2006). Chapter 2: “Nudity, Decency, Morality,” pp.
47 – 87.
Articles:
Johnson, Ken. “Forbidden Sights,” Art in America, 79 (Jan. 1991), pp. 107 -
109.
 Government and the Arts
Textbook:
4 7/2 1) Discussion Forum
Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images. Impolitic Art and Uncivil
Part 2B—initial posts (Tuesday July 3)
Actions (Routledge, 1992). Chapter 11: “The Government As Patron: Angel
Part 2B—response posts (Thursday July 5)
or Demon?” pp. 278 – 293.
2)Film Response
Bolton, Richard (ed.) Culture Wars: Documents from the Recent
Controversies in the Arts (New Press, New York, 1992), pp. 90 – 91, 194 – Due (Friday July 6)

200. 3)Course Spanning Task: A Case Study in Three Parts

Controversy and the Question of Taxpayers' Money Proposal Due (Sunday July 8)

Textbook:
Rothfield, Lawrence (ed.) Unsettling Sensation. Arts-Policy Lessons from the
Brooklyn Museum of Art Controversy (Rutgers University Press, 2001).
 Part II:
Schuster, J. Mark. “Who Should Pay (for the Arts and Culture)? Who Should
Decide? And What Difference Should it Make?” pp. 72 – 91.
Heins, Marjorie. Sex, Sin, and Blasphemy: A Guide to America’s Censorship
Wars (The New Press, NY, 1993). Chapter 6: “The Taxpayers Money: the
Question of Government Funding,” pp. 117 – 136.
Articles:
Danto, Arthur. “Art and Taxpayers,” The Nation, August 21/28, 1989, p. 192.
(Available also in Richard Bolton (ed.). Culture Wars. Documents from the
Recent Controversies in the Arts (New Press, New York, 1992), pp. 96. – 98.
 Unit 3— Representing History
and Interpreting Theories
(Histories, Ideologies,
Interpretations, Revisions)

5 7/9 Representing Cultures and Interpreting Theories 1) Discussion Forum

Textbook: Part 3A—initial posts (Tuesday July 10)
Dubin, Steven C. Displays of Power. Controversy in the Part 3A—response posts (Thursday July 12)
American Museum from the Enola Gay to Sensation (New York 2) Article Response #3
University Press, 1999). Due (Friday July 13)
Chapter Three: “The Troubles in the New World: The
Uncivil War over Gaelic Gotham,” pp. 64 – 117.
Chapter Four: “War of the Words: Psychoanalysis and Its
Discontents,” pp. 118 – 151.
Whose Truth? Histories, Ideologies, Interpretations, Revisions
Textbook:
Dubin, Steven C. Displays of Power. Controversy in the
American Museum from the Enola Gay to Sensation (New York
University Press, 1999).
6 7/16
Chapter Five: “A Matter of Perspective: Revisionist 1) Discussion Forum
History and The West as America,” pp. 152 – 185 Part 3B—initial posts (Tuesday July 17)
Chapter 6: “Battle Royal: The Final Mission of the Enola Part 3B—response posts (Thursday July 19)
Gay,” pp. 186 – 226.
2) Course Spanning Task: A Case Study in Three Parts
Textbook:
Part 2 Draft Due (Sunday July 22)
Harwit, Martin. An Exhibit Denied. Lobbying the History of
Enola Gay (Copernicus, 1996).
Preface, pp. vii - xvi
Chapter 19: “The AFA Lobbies for Its Own Version of
History,” pp. 238 – 259.
Chapter 24: “The Media and a National Museum’s
Defenses,” pp. 297 – 306.
Chapter 28: “Cancellation,” pp. 372 – 397.
 Unit 4— Controversies
Involving Religion
The Role of the Media
Ethics of Funding
Exhibitions

7 7/23 Controversies Involving Religion (USA and Australia) Textbook: 1) Discussion Forum

Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images. Impolitic Art and Uncivil Part 4A—initial posts (Tuesday July 24)

Actions (Routledge, 1992). Part 4A—response posts (Thursday July 26)

o Chapter 4: “Spiritual Tests,” pp. 79 – 101 2) Article Response #4

o Chapter 9: “Defenders of the Faith: Twentieth Due (Friday July 27)

Century Puritans and Connoisseurs,” pp. 226 – 248.

Heins, Marjorie. Sex, Sin, and Blasphemy: A Guide to America’s

Censorship Wars (The New Press, NY, 1993). Chapter 8:
“Blasphemy, Subversiveness, and other Sins,” 165 – 184.
Articles:
Halle, David. “The Controversy Over the Show Sensation at the
Brooklyn Museum, 1999- 2000.” In Alberta Arthurs and Glenn
Wallach (ed.) (2001), Crossroads: Art and Religion in American
Life, pp. 139 - 183.

Ramachandran, Arjun. “That's Osama art controversy (Links to

an external site.)Links to
an external site.,” The Sydney Morning Herald, August 30, 2007.
“Australian Anger at religious art (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.,” BBC News, August 31, 2007.
“Artist defends 'Osama-as-Jesus (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site.',” August 29, 2007.
 Who Made Sensation Sensational?

Textbook:

Dubin, Steven C. Displays of Power. Controversy in the 1) Discussion Forum

8 7/30
American Museum from the Enola Gay to Sensation (New York
Part 4B—initial posts (Tuesday July 31)
University Press, 1999).
Part 4B—response posts (Thursday August 2)
o Afterword: “When Elephants Fight: How Sensation 2) Article Response #4
Became Sensational,” pp. 246 – 276.
Due (Friday August 3)
Rothfield, Lawrence. Unsettling Sensation. Arts-Policy Lessons
3) Course Spanning Task: A Case Study in Three Parts
from the Brooklyn Museum of Art Controversy (Rutgers
Final Research Paper Due (Sunday August 5)
University Press, 2001).

o Chapter 1: “Mapping the Minefield,” pp. 15 – 25.

o Chapter 3: “Art Off-Limits: Public Respect and the
Reading of Art,” pp. 93 – 152.
Legal Brief:
Legal Case Study Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences v. City
of New York, et al., 99 CV 6071 (E.D.N.Y. 1999).
The Ethics of Funding Exhibitions
Textbook:

Rothfield, Lawrence. Unsettling Sensation.

Arts-Policy Lessons from the Brooklyn Museum of Art Controversy (Rutgers
University Press, 2001).
o Chapter 4: “Shock Value: Market- Making for
Controversial Art,” pp. 155
– 197.
o Afterword, pp. 199 – 204

Alexander, Victoria D. “Pictures at an Exhibition: Conflicting

Pressures in Museums and the Display of Art.” In Bradford et al.
(eds.), The Politics of Culture. (The New Press, New York, 2000),
pp. 178 – 207.
Wrapping Up and Reporting Research
Textbook:

Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images: Impolitic Art and Uncivil

Actions (Routledge, 1992).
Chapter 12: “The Art of Controversy,” pp. 294 – 311.

Kammen, Michael. Visual Shock. A History of Art Controversies

in American Culture (Vintage Books, 2006).

Chapter 10: “Comparison and Closure,” pp. 351 – 384.