Global Arc

Although the novel is the youngest genre in the Swahili critical tradition, it has experienced some of the most revolutionary and innovative experimentations since it gained mainstream prominence in Swahili literature, mainly during the post-colonial/independence literary revolution. This course is a reading of the Kiswahili novel with a critical analysis of the socio-political and critical trends in the literary world that have influenced the writings of contemporary Swahili novelists. The colonial/independence and post independence experience in east Africa are some of the motifs that inform the course readings and class discourse.

Examines the rich tradition of poetry in Swahili ranging from pre-20th century classical poetry to contemporary trends. A critical exploration of the classical verse forms such as tenzi will inform subsequent analysis of contemporary materials, representing among them innovative re-appropriations of time-honored techniques as well as pioneering experiments in free verse and the critical debates associated with this poetic experience. Readings will include works by classical, colonial, and post-colonial poets.

This is an introductory course to Swahili culture. You will learn who the Swahili people were and who they have become, who they are not, and what the term 'Swahili' may refer to. This is a multidisciplinary course that will be sourced from different texts, newspapers, booklets, films, music videos, pictures, guest presentations, handouts, web sites, and a taste of Swahili cuisine. Through these you will get a bird's eye view of the East African people as well as some other Swahili speaking groups and their cultures.

This course approaches drawing as a way of thinking and seeing. Students will be introduced to a range of drawing issues, as well as a variety of media, including charcoal, graphite, ink, and oil stick. Subject matter includes still life, the figure, landscape, and architecture. Representation, abstraction, and working from imagination will be explored. A structured independent project will be completed at the end of the term. Two studio classes, five hours total per week.

This course approaches drawing as a way of thinking and seeing. Students will be introduced to a range of drawing issues, as well as a variety of media, including charcoal, graphite, ink, and oil stick. Subject matter includes still life, the figure, landscape, and architecture. Representation, abstraction, and working from imagination will be explored. A structured independent project will be completed at the end of the term. Two studio classes, five hours total per week.

An introduction to the materials and methods of painting. The areas to be covered are color and its interaction, the use of form and scale, painting from a model, painting objects with a concern for their mass, and interaction with light. Two three-hour studio classes, five hours a week.

An introduction to the materials and methods of painting. The areas to be covered are color and its interaction, the use of form and scale, painting from a model, painting objects with a concern for their mass, and interaction with light. Two studio classes, five hours total per week.

How can art become a form of activism? This course investigates how technological media shape culture and society, and how we can actively reshape these dynamics through art and design. We will engage in the practice of "speculative", and "tactical" design using various digital tools to envision different futures, reflecting on social, political, and ethical implications of various technologies. Traversing digital and physical realities, students will develop skills in the Adobe suite, 3d modeling, rendering, AR/VR. The final project will be a technology-based artwork that actively engages with critical social discourse and activism.

How does scientific research produce and reinforce concepts of gender? How is sexism propagated through technological media? This course investigates how scientific and technological media shape culture and society, particularly through the lens of gender and sexuality. Through interdisciplinary art making, students will use various technological media to reflect on the social, political, and ethical aspects of technoscientific feminism. Students will develop skills in 3d modeling, rendering, augmented reality, Illustrator, and Photoshop, creating art works in critical social discourse and gender theory.

Black Queer BDSM material culture resists contextualization in relationship to biographical narratives because of the underground elements of the community. This course will explore the material culture of this community from three perspectives: Architecture + Location, Visual Artists and Exhibitions, and Black Queer BDSM communities with a significant research focus on finding and presenting new materials. We will consider the fragility of archival engagement with these communities by surveying existing BDSM archives in research libraries, community groups, and individuals and their personal ephemera.