Semester Courses


Art & Society Course:

The interdisciplinary Art & Society Course is central to the mission of the Siena Art Institute, and is required for all students.  The goal of the class is to support students’ ongoing portfolio development, and to encourage students to employ their artistic practices in a holistic exploration of the intersection of art and civic life, and the roles art can play in a society. This course encourages students to think seriously about their roles as artists, and to break out of the "comfort zone" of their existing studio practices.  

The Art & Society course for the Fall 2013 Semester will focus on work with Project Fellows Mark Dion & Amy Yoes.  Visit their Project Fellowship Page to find out more about their upcoming project.

Course activities include discussions of assigned readings, viewing films, hands-on activities in a variety of disciplines, visits to galleries, museums, and other locations in the local area, presentations from guest artists and creative professionals, community collaborations, and assignments encouraging students to create art for public contexts. The ratio of time spent on discussions/ hands-on activities remains flexible depending on the schedule of the weekly projects, presentations, and visits to off-site locations.  There is also an organized calendar of group critiques and weekly individual advising sessions, to ensure that students are receiving constructive feedback about their developing portfolio of work.

Reading materials will supplement class discussions, with students expected to have read assigned readings before class.  These readings serve to fuel the course's ongoing investigation into the roles art can play in society.  

Topics covered in the course include:
-             Collaborative Practices
-             Art as Receptacle of Cultural History
-             Art as Social Criticism / Social Reflection / Social Metaphor
-             Art as Propaganda, Kitsch, Entertainment
-             Art as Community Galvanizer, Sparking new conversations
-             Art as Public Communication
-             The Diversity of Audiences


In addition to group meetings, the class also includes individual advising appointments with Professors Nonken and Tune, during the 12 weeks of the regular semester schedule.

As part of the Art and Society course, students also will have opportunities to interract with our visiting artists.  Every Tuesday evening at 6 pm there is a presentation as part of our series “stARTers: assaggi d’arte”.  Presentations are led by our Resident Aritsts as well as other guest artists, critics, musucians, writers, etc.  Students are required to attend the Resident Artists’ presentations, and are encouraged to attend the other presentations as well.  Students will team up in pairs to select one of the presenters that they will interview before the start of the presentation.  Students also will have opportunities to receive critical feedback from visiting artists, both in individual advising meetings and during group critiques. 

The course allows students to develop substantive projects to further their portfolio development, and to have numerous opportunities to interract with a diverse array of artists, to deepen their understanding of contemporary art practices, and the various roles that artists can play in a broader social context.