The Bay Area is home to diverse and vibrant contemporary art scenes, fueled by thousands of creative artists working in a wide range of media – and with an impressive array of interests. The course is an active exploration of this multifaceted topic. 

In-class activities will include presentations and discussion; guest lectures by artists, arts writers, curators; and arts administrators, complemented by readings, media and writing assignments. Integral to the class are individual visits and field trips to museums, galleries, DIY spaces and artist studios.

The course emphasizes practice-based research experiences and public digital humanities authoring.  Students will learn basic multimedia production skills including website development, audio and video recording, and photography in concert with best practices in research, interviewing and documentation.

Throughout the semester, students will engage in directed collaborative research working in small teams, and in individual research, culminating in a public presentation.

For in-class work, students are  asked to bring their smartphones, and are required to have laptops. The latter are available on loan through – https://studenttech.berkeley.edu/devicelending & https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/using-the-libraries/laptop-lending.

A group field trip  to the Oakland Museum is planned for Sunday, February 6, focusing on the Afrofuturism exhibition and permanent collection. Students unable to attend will go by themselves with a linked assignment. Admission to the museum is free on that day. Participants should plan on transportation costs and lunch.

This course fulfills the following Major requirements: Geographical area (C) and Chronological period (III).