Contemporary Issues in Art Museums

This course will explore the role of the art museum in contemporary society with a focus on complex issues that shape art museum best practices. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, students will be introduced to major shifts in the history of art museums in the post-war era (after 1945) as funding, collecting, exhibition, education, and administrative practices adapt to various intersecting and changing social, political, legal, economic, and technological forces. With the aim of integrating theory and practice, students will identify major stakeholders in museums and the variety of employee positions and backgrounds found amongst art museum personnel. The course will explore theories of institutional logics and organization, critical race and feminist theories, nascent colonial practices that remain in art museum practices, and methods for applying design thinking to grapple with challenging problems in contemporary art museums. This course will be relevant to students of various disciplines within the humanities and social sciences, as well as students interested in non-profit administration, leadership, and organization.