Philosophy
1361, Philosophy and the Arts Dr. Cynthia Freeland, Fall 2009
Research Project Assignment: Art and Society
The research project will be worth 20 points or 20%
of the final grade for the class. The grade is broken into parts with separate due
dates, which are listed below.
Directions:
Choose one topic from below and follow the schedule of due dates for beginning,
organizing, and documenting your research. This research should lead to a final
report including a discussion of what you have found along with a philosophical
analysis or commentary incorporating answers to these two critical questions:
(1) What definition(s) of art is
being used in the context you are discussing?, and (2) What account of aesthetic value is being invoked in this
context? You should refer to at least some ideas in Freeland's But Is It
Art? and/or in the articles in the Aesthetics: The Big Questions textbook,
to help you as you do your analysis and observations. Use relevant quotations
to back up some of your points. There is no strict length limit for the paper but the suggested length is
7-10 pages. Students may work
collaboratively only with explicit permission from the professor.
Topics for Research Project
1. Art Education
Do
research on art (or music) education within the public school system. This
might involve an entire school system of a city (like
2. Public Art
Investigate several works of public art either in
3. The Art Market
Do
research into the art market. Either choose a particular artist, such as Van
Gogh or Damien Hirst and research trends in their
prices; or select a particular medium, such as photography; and/or a particular
artwork, such as Sunflowers. Find information showing changes in the art’s
valuation over time. What does this show? Is it wrong to consider art from a
marketing perspective? Why or why not? Discuss.
4. Arts Organization
Funding
Option A. Do research on the funding of the NEA (National
Endowment for the Arts) and observe trends of funding over the decades, noting
especially what happened from 1990 on. (The NEA has its own website at http://www.nea.gov/.) There is a chart of Appropriations History
at the site, and you will need Adobe Acrobat to download it (it's a pdf file). There is another interesting pdf
file here providing an
international comparison of spending on the arts. This site also contains NEA
history, mission, background, information on how the money is spent, etc. You
can also do research on and report on other arts funding agencies such as Texas
Council on the Arts and/or CACHH (Cultural
Arts Council of Houston and
Option B. Write about
the funding of a particular arts organization that you know something about.
This should be an organization, not an individual artist. How does the
organization get its money and pay its artists? What sort of audience does it
have and how do they view the organization? To what extent do you think that
the organization's artistic mission and vision are shaped by its funding needs?
(This question might be more appropriate for students to answer who are already
involved in some sort of arts organization, whether for dance, photography,
music, or any other art.)
Option C. Write about funding of an arts organization or arts
agency in another country. Discuss what the organization or agency funds, where
its operating budget comes from, its mission and goals, and samples of its
activity.
5. Arts Festivals
Investigate
an arts festival you find interesting. This might be something like the Art Car
Parade, the Bayou City Arts Festival, the Renaissance Festival, Dance Month
Houston, the annual Quilt Festival, International Festival, a music festival,
or an arts festival in another city. How are the arts represented? How does the
audience respond? How are the entrants selected—is
there a screening committee and if so, what are their standards? How does commercialism factor into the
festival? What do you think is the
relationship between the festival and the more standard institutions of “high
art” in the surrounding city or state (e.g. symphony, opera, art museum)?
6. Your Own Topic
You
must consult with Mr. Trujillo and/or Dr. Freeland and receive approval. For this
purpose it is best to submit a brief written proposal; doing so by e-mail is
OK.
Schedule of Deadlines
Deadline 1:
Submit your proposal (1 page) by September 23;
suggested length, 1 page 5 points
May be submitted either in class on paper
or on-line via WebCT.
Deadline 2:
Submit a preliminary bibliography of at least five
entries and a report on your activities by October 21; suggested length, 3
pages 5 points
May be submitted either in class on paper
or on-line via WebCT.
Deadline 3:
Submit your complete report of your research
findings in writing by late November 23. More detailed guidelines will be
distributed closer to the deadline. 12
points
MUST BE SUBMITTED
On-Line via WebCT.
Important Dates, Fall 2009
Aug. 24 First day of Class (Mon)
Sept. 7 Labor Day Holiday
Nov. 25-28 Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 2 Weds.
Last day of Classes
Dec. 9-17 Final Exam Period