Spring 2012 Material Culture Classes

Due to popular demand here is a preliminary list of Material Culture elective courses being offered this coming spring semester. Please feel free to ask any questions or offer any comments. 

Art History 304 - Art and Archeology of Ancient Rome.
Explores the art and archeology of ancient Italy, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity.

Art History 364 - History of American Art, 1607-Present.
Explores American art and material culture between 1607 and the present; works of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts are examined within the broader social, historical, and cultural contexts that give them form and meaning.

Art History 368 - American Architecture - The Nineteenth Century.
Major architects and trends in American architecture from the Greek Revival to the Chicago School.

Art History 405 - Cities and Sanctuaries in Ancient Greece.

Topics include Urbanism in ancient Greece in theory and practice; the forms, technologies, patronage and use of buildings; the creation and conception of urban space; and the organization of religious sites, dedications, and rituals.

Art History 478 - Art and Religious Practices in Medieval Japan.

A study of spaces, objects, and images within the context of religious belief and practice in Japan between 1300 and 1600, when great Zen monasteries grew up alongside older Buddhist/Shinto religious "megaplexes," and new salvationist sects spread throughout Japan.

Art History 563 - Topics in Material Culture. (Ellery Foutch)
From prints to posters, houseplants to aquariums, this course will consider the effects of technology and mechanical reproduction on the look of domesticity. Rather than focusing on the high-end decorative arts and homes of the very wealthy, this class will emphasize the visual and material culture of the American middle-class home, 1850-1950. We'll also study the culture of at-home visual entertainments, from early 'magic lanterns' and optical toys to the effects of televisions, Tivo, DVDs, and computers on perception and social life. 

Anthropology 942 - Archaeological Problems; Topic: Theory in Archaeology.

This course provides an historical perspective on the growth of theory and method in North American and British achaeology and an introduction to current contoversies and emerging directions in the development of archaeological theory. In this course, you will engage with both enduring and contemporary issues related to how we construct our knowledge about ancient human cultures.

Design Studies 420 - Twentieth Century Design. 

Design, including interior, furniture, graphic and textiles, is viewed through broader social and cultural issues including: an aesthetic to express a new age; processes, materials, and marketing techniques; roles for designers; consumer versus designer initiated production. Visits to local collections.

 
Design Studies 355 - History of Fashion.
Changing form and meaning of costume in the West from Renaissance to present. Dress considered in relation to social/cultural milieu and as an art form. Includes treatment of the body; ethnic/class variations; couture; "antifashion".

Geography 305 - Introduction to the City. 

Analysis of the distributions of cities, their functions, character and relationships with their surrounding regions, and the areal patterns within cities; the spatial variation of population, economic activity, and land uses.

Geography 460 - American Environmental History. 

Survey of interactions among people and natural environments from before European colonization to present. Equal attention to problems of ecological change, human ideas, and uses of nature and history of conservation and environmental public policy.

Geography 508 - Landscape and Settlement in the North American Past. 

Historical geography of North American settlement patterns, cultural landscapes, regional identity and heritage.

History of Science 222 - Technology and Social Change in History. (Eric Schatzberg)

Topics in the history of tthey came from, why they came, where they settled, what they contributed to their new country, and what bits of their traditions they hung on to.echnology of interest to students in engineering and physical sciences. Themes include the social basis of technical change, the impact of technology on everyday life, and ethical issues in technology in the last two centuries.

Landscape architecture 423 - Evolution of American Planning. 

The nature and cultural significance of contemporary methods for the systematic formulation of public policies for community, metropolitan, and state development through comprehensive planning. Historic roots, recent trends and new directions in American planning concepts, institutions and professional specializations.

Scandinavian Studies 296 - Scandinavian Heritage in America. (Julie Allen)

In this class, we explore the immigrant experience of Scandinavian-Americans, from the conditions in the Old Country that drove them to emigrate to the difficulties they faced in creating new lives for themselves in America and their role in American society.

Exciting New Blog: It's A Material World

Current UW-Madison Art History Graduate Student Gianofer Fields, in collaboration with Travis San Pedro, has been working on a fairly recent blog: It's a Material World that deals with our everyday interactions with the material world. Please take a look at it...

www.itsamaterialworld.org


The following is a brief synopsis from the website:

"In our lifetime we’ve seen the mobile phone shrink from the size of a suitcase to something easily lost in a coat pocket. Examining the everyday objects we choose to possess helps us place ourselves within a cultural context of technology and change. This project is called “It’s a Material World.”

First, it is a virtual exhibition and meeting place: an exploration of everyday and evocative objects with a savvy blending of multiple media practices.  A radio interview mode teases out meanings and feelings from scholars, artists and ordinary people, a visual frame gives the viewer a chance to see and join in a conversation, and an electronic format allows ephemeral events and interviews to be captured and archived. 

Our goal is to facilitate conversations between authors, craftspeople, designers, manufacturers, scholars, and students about the way our lives are interwoven with things, ideas, relationships, and meanings."

 

Employment Opportunity: Operations Program Associate with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum

There are two full-time project openings at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.  These positions are for approximately two years, with a possible extension, and include full benefits.

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a  history museum but would welcome applications from individuals with collections experience in any type of museum.

The Veterans Museum is on the Capitol square in Madison.

Please see the link at: http://wisc.jobs/public/job_view.asp?annoid=54584&jobid=54099&index=true

Employment Opportunity: Assistant Professor of Material and Visual Culture with Parson, The New School for Design

Parsons The New School for Design, a division of the New School, seeks applicants for Assistant Professor of Material and Visual Culture, a renewable term faculty position within the School of Art and Design History and Theory.


Applicants should demonstrate expertise in the history and interpretation of the material world from the perspective of art and design history, archaeology, anthropology, the history of science, or material culture.  Candidates must be innovative in their methodologies of research in demonstrating how materiality and visuality contribute to historical understanding. Field of specialization is open, but preference will be given to specialization in a period prior to the twentieth century and/or with a non-Western focus. 


Candidates must have experience with innovative pedagogical approaches that will engage students from a variety of disciplines across Parsons and the wider University community.


To apply and for full position description, please visit http://careers.newschool.edu

Employment Opportunity: Art and Design Historian of Modern and Contemporary Designed Objects

The Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) invites applications  for a historian of design as a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty member beginning August 2012.

The ideal candidate will join an active research department of fifteen full-time historians of modern and to excellent teaching. The successful applicant will have a commitment to exceptional teaching, a doctoral degree, and a record of research and material culture studies, art history, or in other fields related to design history where designed objects are the focus. All candidates must specialize in modern and contemporary practices, though expertise is open to any geographical area within design history.

Please see the responsibilities, qualifications, required materials and application procedure on the www.saic.edu/about/jobs/faculty website.

By Monday, December 5, 2011, please submit an application at http://SAICfaculty.slideroom.com

FIU Fellowship Program: The Wolfsonian

The Wolfsonian–Florida International University is a museum and research center that promotes the examination of modern visual and material culture. The Wolfsonian’s fellowship program is intended to support research on the museum’s collection, generally for periods of three to four weeks. The program is open to holders of master’s or doctoral degrees, Ph.D. candidates, and others who have a significant record of professional achievement in relevant fields. 

The focus of the Wolfsonian collection is on North American and European decorative arts, propaganda, architecture, and industrial and graphic design from the period 1885–1945. The United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands are the countries most extensively represented. The collection includes works on paper (including posters, prints, and design drawings), furniture, paintings, sculpture, glass, textiles, ceramics, lighting and other appliances, and many other kinds of objects. The Wolfsonian’s library has approximately 50,000 rare books, periodicals, and ephemeral items.

All applicants are encouraged to discuss their project with the museum staff prior to submission to ensure the relevance of their proposals to the Wolfsonian’s collection. For more information about The Wolfsonian and its collection, visit the website at http://www.wolfsonian.org, call 305.535.2686, or email research@thewolf.fiu.edu. An electronic application form will be available through The Wolfsonian’s website after November 15, 2011. Applications for the 2012–13 academic year must be postmarked by December 31, 2011.