SYLLABUS CHICANA ART AND ARTISTS 1

SYLLABUS CHICANA ART AND ARTISTS

A COURSE OF THE CESAR CHAVEZ CENTER
BY PROFESSOR JUDITH F. BACA, FALL 2008
MEETING TIME: 4 UNITS

Introduction to Chicana Art and Artists

The premise of this class is that Chicana artists have developed a
unique experience in creation of their identities as artists and Chicanas
that has yet to be defined separately from the experience of Chicano
Artist. Is there a common character to the Chicana artist who has
defied the multiple circumstances of gender-defined roles in Latino
families? Is there cultural resistance to women as progenitors of
culture? How does the role of artist conflict with duties and
responsibilities as mothers, daughters, and relationship partners and
how have our leading Chicana artists reconciled these issues to
become recognized? Are there common characteristics among these
women and have they common elements evident in their aesthetics?
This class presents nationally recognized women in a series of lectures
by the artists. The class will participate in interviews conducted at the
conclusion of talks with the artists. Presentations will be documented
and archived for future use as a teaching resource at the Cesar Chavez
Center.

STUDENTS COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students will be required to write a final 10page minimum Comparative
paper on the Chicana artists presented over the course of the quarter.
Participation will also be a determining factor in grading. Students will
be expected to engage in lecture discussion with the artists through at
least two questions developed from the readings and lectures.
Students are also required to participate in the Special Project for
documentation of the presenting artist work and the creation of an
archive of slides for research. Midterm images and narrative on three
women for the on line archive on Chicana art and Artists.

Reading List:
Course Reader:

“And Yes ...The Earth Did Part- On the Splitting of Chicana/o

Subjectivity”
Chapter 3-Building with our Hands: New Directions in Chicana
Studies
Angie Chabram Dernersesian

“Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whores Mask: The Mirror of
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Malinchism”
Chapter 3-Chicano Art: Inside Outside the Master's House
By Alicia Gaspar De Alba

“Toward a Re-Vision of Chicana/o Theater History: The Roles of Women

in El Teatro Campesino”
Chapter 3 - El Teatro Campesino: Theater in the Chicano
Movement
Yolanda Broyles-Gonzalez

“Raising Community Consciousness with Public Art: The Guadalupe

Mural Project”
Chapter 5-Spirit Poles and Flying Pigs
By Erika Doss

“On the Politics of Change”

Affirmative Acts: Political Essays
By June Jordan

“El Mundo Femenino: Chicana Artists of the Movement-A Commentary

on Development and Production”
CARA: Chicano Art Resistance and Affirmation
By Amalia Mesa Bains

“Art Official Histories”

Aztlan: A journal of Chicano Studies, Spring 1998
By Chon Noriega

“Speaking Secrets Living Chicana Theory”

Living Chicana Theory
By Deena J. Gonzalez

“Judy Baca: Our People are the Internal Exiles”

Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras, edited by Gloria
Anzaldua
Diane Neumaier,

Books:
Art on My Mind: Visual Politics
By Bell Hooks
New Press; ISBN: 1565842634

Other Visions, Other Voices: Women Political Artists in Greater

Los Angeles
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By Paul Von Blum

University Press of America; ISBN: 0819194751

Off the Reservation: Reflections on Boundary-Busting, Border-

Crossing Loose Canons
By Paula Gunn Allen
Beacon Pr; ISBN: 080704640X

Borderlands/ La Frontera: The New Mestiza

by Gloria Anzaldua,
Consortium Book Sales & Dist; ISBN: 1879960567

On reserve at SPARC and Powell:

The Obstacle Race

By Germaine Greer
Out of Print/On reserve at SPARC & Powell Library

Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation, 1965-1985

WEEK ONE -: INTRODUCTION

PRESENTOR: Judith F. Baca : the Obstacle Race and Women Artists in
History
READINGS: Reader: Raising Community Consciousness with Public
Art: The Guadalupe Mural Project by Erika Doss, Judy Baca: Our People
are the Internal Exiles by Diane Neumaier,
Other Visions, Other Voices: Introduction, chapter. 5 Judy Baca
CARA: Chicano Art Resistance and Affirmation: El Mundo
Femenino: Chicana Artists of the Movement-A Commentary on
Development and Production by Amalia Mesa-Bains
ASSIGNMENT: Research work of Amalia Mesa Bains

WEEK TWO –
CHICANA IDENTITIES
PRESENTOR:
READINGS: Borderlands/La Frontera, chapters 1-7

WEEK THREE-
WHO'S TELLING THIS STORY ANYWAY?
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PRESENTOR:
READINGS: Off the Reservation: Chap. 12-Looking Back: Ethics in
the Western Formalist Tradition, Chap. 13-Who's
Telling This Story, Anyway?, Chap. 14-Thus Spake
Pocahontas
Reader: Art Official Histories by Chon Noriega, Speaking Secrets
Living Chicana Theory by Deena J. Gonzalez
ASSIGNMENT: Research work of Ester Hernandez

WEEK FOUR-
TOPIC: ARTISTAS MALINCHISTAS
PRESENTOR: READINGS:
Reader: “And Yes... The Earth Did Part”: On The Splitting of
Chicana/o Subjectivity by Angie Chabram Dernersesian,
Toward a Re-Vision of Chicana/o Theater History: The Roles of
Women in El Teatro Campesino by Yolanda Broyles-Gonzalez,
Out of the House, The Halo And The Whores Mask: The Mirror of
Malinchismo by Alicia Gaspar de Alba
ASSIGNMENT: Research work of Linda Vallejo

WEEK FIVE-
THE ARTISTS VOICE
PRESENTOR:
READINGS: Art on My Mind: The Poetics of Soul: Art for Everyone-
Talking Art with Alison Saar, Diasporic Landscapes of Longing-Talking
Art with Carrie Mae Weems, Aesthetic Interventions- Straighten Up and
Fly Right: Talking Art with Emma Amos, Intervening Printmakers:
Talking Art with Margot Humphteys
Reader: Quest for Identity: Profile of Two Chicana Muralists by Amalia
Mesa-Bains
ASSIGNMENT: Midterm presentations. Students upload to class
website their research with images research work one Chicana
Artist

WEEK SIX-
TOPIC: SPIRITUALITIES
PRESENTOR:
READINGS: Off the Reservation: Part I
“Art On My Mind: Talking Art as the Spirit Moves Us”
ASSIGNMENT: Research on Amalia Mesa-Bains

WEEK SEVEN-:
MAKING A LIVING
PRESENTOR:
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READING: Research your final paper

ASSIGNMENT: Write an outline of your final paper

WEEK EIGHT-
RETELLING HISTORY
PRESENTOR:
READING: Other Visions, Other Voices, and Chapter 8 Barbara
Carrasco

WEEK NINE-:
THE PERSONAL-POLITICAL VOICE
PRESENTOR:
READING: CARA: Chicano Art Resistance and Affirmation, In the City of
Angels, Chameleons, and Phantoms: Asco, a Case Study of Chicano Art
in Urban Tones (or Asco Was a Four-Member Word) by Harry Gamboa,
Jr.

WEEK TEN-: CONCLUSION

Conclusions

FINAL PAPER DUE WEEK 10