Problem:
This activity will give you an opportunity to engage your classmates in a discussion of art and its purpose. This is an experiential learning activity. You will need to visit a local art museum. (If you are unable to visit a museum in person, you may use online resources. After working through the assigned materials on art, visit a local art museum. As you walk through the galleries, think about the objects on display. You will likely encounter a variety of objects including, but not limited to, paintings, photographs, furniture, eating utensils, and sculptures. Why are they there? What makes them different from other objects and therefore worthy of inclusion in an art gallery? Is it because they meet objective criteria for beauty, or is it merely a matter of someone's taste or authority, like that of the curator? Alternatively, is their inclusion based on their evocative power or usefulness? As you walk through the museum, select two objects, one that you think counts as art and one that you think does not. Take a photo of each of these objects. You may or may not be able to photograph your selections in the art gallery, so if you can't take a photo yourself, make sure an image is available online that can be downloaded. Your activity this week will be based on your images and will provide you with the opportunity to evaluate theories of art and determine your own position on the question of what constitutes art. Upload your two images to the Discussion Forum and craft a post (200 words) explaining why you think each object should or should not be classified as art.