Management of Art Organizations: The Production Side

St. Thomas University
Institute of Communications, Entertainment, and Media

Kennedy Hall Room 210
Northwest Miami, Florida

Semester/Year: Spring 09/A2
Fridays 6-9 pm; Saturdays 1-4 pm
2009

TEXT AND REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Natalie Heinich, The glory of Van Gogh. an anthropology of admiration, Princeton Univ. Press, 1997 (paperback)
(on Heinich’s work, Dagmar Danko, N. Heinich’s sociology of art, and sociology from art, Cultural Sociology, vo. 2(2), 2008, 242-256)
N. Goodman, “When is art”, in Ways of worldmaking, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1978, 57-70

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course incorporates art, art history and visual culture and addresses the Production Side of the Master on Specialization in Art Economics and Management.
The Arts will be studied not as an essence (i.e., not by answering the question, “what is art?”), but as an activity: how art is used to promote meaningful relationships that lead to successful marketing strategies. The course will define the theoretical articulation between a work of art’s immanence – its physical presence-and its transcendence–the semiotic experience it induces, as well as the complex chain of mediations (i.e., artistic traditions, the role of the artist and institutions such as patronage, critics, museum curators, the art market, etc.), that makes a work of art respected and marketable.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES:

Lecture, videotapes, Internet, sample artworks, electronic images, group work, class discussion, and fieldtrips will all be used as instructional techniques in this course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will develop an understanding of clear, theoretical premises and definitions within Art Management: its organization and production.
2. Students will develop descriptive methods of analyzing and critiquing works of art. In critical moments to read sign of life in the art market we have to use eyes not ears.
3. Students will apply theoretical concepts to various application exercises.
4. At the end of this course, students will have successfully mounted and critiqued a personal art exhibit.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students should be able to identify and produce quality production materials for their area of study.

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

This course meets over five weekends (Friday evenings 6:00 – 9:00 PM and Saturdays 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM).
The instructor will assign selected readings from the textbook; these readings will form the base to classroom discussion.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:

*Friday, April 3, 2009 – 6:00 9:00pm

Introduction and review syllabus
Discussion of Mid-term assessment:
EVALUATION OF CLASS PARTICIPATION
Discussion of Final Project/Assignment:
Term Paper 10 to 12 pages, typed, double spaced; at least six references and at least six references to class lecture material
Reading Assignments for Saturday

*Friday, April 10, 2009 – 6:00 9:00pm

Lecture: Constructing admiration: N. Heinich’s book on Van Gogh
Theoretical premises and definitions

*Saturday, April 11, 2009 – 1:00 – 4:00pm

Lecture: Constructing admiration 2.
Admiration ad emotion and passion

*Friday, April 17, 2009 – 6:00 9:00pm

Lecture: When is art

*Saturday, April 18, 2009 – 1:00 – 4:00pm

Lecture: Art in theory, art in Action

*Friday, April 24, 2009 – 6:00 9:00pm

Lecture:
Italian modern art: Futurist typographic work. G. De Chirico, A. Savinio

*Saturday, April 25, 2009 – 1:00 – 4:00pm

Lecture: Semiotic Methods and readings
Italian Contemporary art. M. Cattelan, Arte povera
The “Italics” exhibition in Venice, 2009

*Friday, May 1, 2009 – 6:00 9:00pm

Lecture: Biennale Archives in Venice: ASAC
Pinault’s collection in Venice Palazzo Grassi & Dogana

*Saturday, May 2, 2009 – 1:00 – 4:00pm

Finals
Submission of term paper

SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS:

Some articles of Daniel Chandler, Semiotics, the basics, Routledge, 2007 (paperback 2 ed.)