To gain a critical and comprehensive view of the development of Western civilization, one needs to examine the relationship between the development of Western ideas and societies and other regions of the world. This Gallery Talk uses women’s art to facilitate such a complex study of the development of modern Western world in a global context. To do so, you will first visit a museum, gallery, community center, or library online or onsite to observe and study an artwork created by a woman. Focus on an artwork that addresses a topic, issue, or idea concerning women’s well-being in a global context. You may also use the links found on the course page Sources for Images of Cultural Artifacts. In about 250 words, discuss the following items: The artist’s background The creative process focusing on, for example, the art medium, art tools, how the artwork is made, artistic or cultural theory or tradition the artist applied; and creative uses of the elements of art (e.g., color, composition, light-and-dark contrast, focal point, etc.) The subject matter of the artwork focusing on a topic, issue, or idea concerning women’s well-being in a global context A couple of questions or thoughts that would encourage the class to examine together the artwork and issue you’ve selected Post your writing along with a clear copy of the artwork to this discussion forum. Make sure to provide a full citation for the artwork including the following: The artist’s name The title of the work The date of the artwork completed The size, duration (if multimedia or performance-based art), or location (if site-specific art) of the artwork The medium of the artwork Where you observed the artwork (e.g., the name of museum, the title of the book, URL) Continue participating in the Gallery Talk exercise by responding to your classmates’ posts. Use what you’ve learned from this Workshop to enrich your discussion. Keep in mind that the focus of this Gallery Talk is to examine the influences of Western ideas and society on other regions of the world. Thus, you should strive to expand your learning of women’s lives and art beyond the Western world.
