Creative Research Project (40%) & Final Presentation (5%):

The major creative research project for the semester consists of three parts completed over the course of the semester: 

1. a research paper of 6-8 pages in length contextualizing a work of art as well as conducting an aesthetic analysis (20%)
2. a creative art project responding to both the artwork and your research findings in an artistic format of your choice (20%) 
3. a final presentation of your work in class and during the STEAM Festival in December (5%) 

PART I: Research Paper

Your individual major writing project for the semester consists of researching a piece of public art such as a mural, a monument, a memorial, a painting, a sculpture, graffiti, or some other aesthetic public object (i.e. with public access) and to contextualize as well as provide a formal aesthetic analysis in a 6-8 page research paper. Your research project should consider the form and function of this artwork and its cultural, political, and aesthetic significance. Your research should include both popular and scholarly articles (if available) on your chosen object. Several deadlines throughout the semester will help you complete this research essay in steps and allow for revision. 

Here are some helpful links for searching public art in NYC:

1. NYC Parks Public Art Map  
2. Curbed: Public art in NYC 

Some questions to consider: Is this piece of public art controversial in any way? What does it signify? Where is it located? How has its meaning shifted over time and what does it mean now? What explicit political commentary (if any) is it making? Does it challenge traditional forms? Who made it and why? What is the medium of the work? How do its form and content relate? 

The terms memorials, monuments, and public art are often used interchangeably, but they serve different cultural, social, and artistic purposes.

• Memorials focus on remembrance, often evoking solemnity or reflection.
• Monuments commemorate achievements or people, often aiming for grandeur and permanence.
• Public Art is a broad category that can include memorials or monuments, but its intent may be purely artistic, community-centered, or conceptual without historical ties.

PART II: Creative Project

For the creative art component of the project, you will imagine that you are invited as an artist to contribute to an exhibition about public art in NYC today. You might do any of the following: make a short documentary film about the work; curate a virtual art installation about it; create a collage, mosaic, poster, or sculpture; create a performance or visual art piece; create a sound installation to accompany the art piece; write a series of poems, a short story, or a song about the work; create a visual essay; or do something else entirely. The only requirement is that you engage in an artistic or creative mode for this segment of the project that is informed by the findings in your research and aesthetic analysis. Don’t forget to have fun! 

PART III: Final Presentation & STEAM Festival

At the end of the semester, we will have an in-class exhibition of everyone’s and short final presentations of your research. You will also present these at Macaulay’s annual STEAM Festival Dec 7, 8, & 11th 2024.

[*Please note: Nov. 15th is the deadline for me to fill out a request if students would like to participate in the STEAM festival online rather than in person. Please let me know via email if this is your preference.]

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IDC 1001H Library Research Guide:
https://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/idc1001h

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List of Deadlines for the Project:

STEP 1: Creative Research Project Proposal (1-2 paragraphs): Due Oct 16

• Describe your proposed project and why you are interested in researching a particular piece of public art. Include the artistic medium (i.e. sculpture, video, painting, etc.) you might consider for your creative project if you already have an idea (though this part could change later).

STEP 2: Analysis of Public Artwork (500 words): Due Nov 11

• A 500-word (2 pages, double spaced) aesthetic analysis of the artwork covering both the form and content of the work as you perceive it. This can be directly incorporated into your essay later on.
• Part I: Start with a close analysis and detailed description of the artwork (much like you did previously with the formal analysis assignment). (250 words)
• Part II: For the second half of your analysis, you should consider the location of the piece and its public accessibility, and how this adds to the meaning/impact of the work. This process will help ground your thinking for developing larger research questions for the project. (250 words)

STEP 3: Annotated Bibliography (minimum 5 sources) & Revised Research Project Description (1 page): Due Nov 18

• A one-page revision of your original proposal with a more defined research question. You should also give a rough outline of how your plan to structure your paper. This does not need to be a point form outline, but rather an explanation of the kinds of sub-claims and evidence that will support your argument drawn out of your research question. (It’s totally okay not to have a fully formed argument or thesis at this stage, but you can explain the methods you will take to get to that point). This will later be used as a rough outline of your introduction in the essay.
• A 5-source Annotated Bibliography of research you plan to use in your essay. Each annotation should be no more than 2 sentences in length and should describe the source and explain how it might be useful in your project.
• Bibliographies should use MLA or Chicago citation style.
• Check out the Purdue Owl website for citational guidelines.

STEP 4: Creative Art Project Exhibition : Due Dec 4

• In-Class presentation and exhibition of your creative projects in advance of the STEAM Festival.
  • Please bring your creative project to class and be prepared to share your work. Each student will speak briefly about what inspired you to create it, why you chose the medium you did, and the process of creating your project (Total: 3-4 mins per student).
  • Please also post an image and/or a link to your creative project on the course website under “Creative Project Exhibition” before class as well as a creative title for your work. 
    • To do this, follow the same process as writing a Discussion Post, but instead select “Creative Project Exhibition” when you create a new post and it should populate to the correct page. (If you have any issues, please let me know)
  • If you are creating a video for your project, you can just post a link to the video and we will watch it in class (please include a title). You can create a link by uploading the video to a private YouTube page or to Dropbox/Google Drive.  
  • This will prepare you for the STEAM festival presentations later this week!

STEP 5: Optional Draft of Final Essay : Due Dec 9

This is the deadline to submit your essay draft on Brightspace for feedback from your professor before the final deadline. On Dec 9, we will also have a peer review workshop in class where you will get feedback on your essay from other students as you prepare for final submission on Dec 16.

STEP 6: STEAM Festival: Dec 7, 8, & 11

• More details about the festival available here: https://steam2024.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

STEP 7: In-Class Research Presentations: Due Dec 11

• Each student will present their research findings in 3-4 minutes
• Submit 1-2 images of the artwork you researched to me via email by 12 noon on 12/11 to share during your presentation.  
• For the presentation, you should consider the following questions (note: you do not need to answer all of these questions): 
  • What public artwork was the focus of your research essay? What should we know about it?
  • What did you discover about the piece of public art in the process of doing research? What arguments did you make about it in your paper? 
  • What (if any) struggles did you face in trying to write about and understand your chosen artwork?

STEP 8: Final Essay Submission : Due Fri. Dec. 20th

Submit your final essay on Brightspace by the end of the day on 12/20.