Punks And Priests: An Engaged Art History

What can punk music house shows teach us about underground meetings of outlaw religious minorities under the Roman empire? How can designing a superhero help us understand the idiosyncratic development of religious iconography? What can a practicing Afrofuturist artist teach us about colonialism? This presentation will explore several experiments I have implemented in my community college global art history survey. In the classroom, my students engage in daily design-oriented, little-c-creative exercises such as representing an abstract concept like love or freedom in nine lines or less, or by creating a daily schedule for a hypothetical commune of their own construction. However, my classroom often spills off campus and into the city beyond. While many art history classes lead students afield for one or two class sessions, my survey courses position excursions and guest speakers as a third of credit hours. My students meet accomplished museum professionals, city officials, festival founders, architects, and arts facility managers and witness the production and economic end of art-making in our community - shared experiences that help us better relate to historic modes of arts production. Finally, my students produce substantial responsive projects in the media of their choice. These projects manifest as more traditional art historical essays, sushi rolls, and once, a Bauhaus-inspired band poster. Together, these strategies combine deep community arts connections and design thinking into an experience-driven constructivist survey course that enhances student enthusiasm for the arts.