Visualizing Women's Work: Using Art Media for Social Justice

Course Overview

Discover the historical erasure of women’s work through social justice art Public art has often ignored the work and legacy of minorities and women, but recently there has been a welcome reappraisal of publicly displayed visual monuments and art media. This course dives into the artistic process, exploring how art has the power to address issues of social justice and gender equality and answer historic injustices. Critique art history through the lens of gender You’ll begin the course by evaluating public monuments in terms of form, content, and context, undertaking a critical analysis of art through a social justice lens. With a focus on both the local and global picture, you’ll address the historical erasure of women’s work – compensated and uncompensated – learning about the role of gender bias in historical public art. Examine the creative process and creative research The course will also give you a foundation in visual literacy and interpretation, as you explore the artistic process and creative practice as a form of research. You’ll then learn how to develop your own media-based or literary projects that respond to gender bias in public commemoration. Examine real-world examples of social justice art projects On the final sections of the course, you’ll identify and interpret existing art-based social justice projects in a variety of media, including site-specific work and web-based initiatives. Learning alongside world-renowned visual and performance artist Melanie Manos, you’ll come away armed with creative and provocative ways to counter historical erasure in public art.