Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0237 - Craft Ecologies

Through the course Craft Ecologies, students will trace the complex systems which bring material into being. Exploring the natural substances of Western Massachusetts, students will harvest raw materials, think through material as an extension of place, and create process-based artworks. In this studio seminar, we will consider the correspondence between maker and material. Naturalpigments and foraged fibers will enter contemporary art discourse as students explore entanglements between the natural an human-built worlds. Coursework will include a semester-long self-designed project related to course themes. We will also undertake weekly reading assignments such as Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, Ursula Le Guin's Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, and Tim Ingold's Making. Evaluations will be based on student's engagement with the course material and through demonstrated effort on their self-designed projects Keywords:Sculpture, Material Studies, Art & Science, Ecology, Craft Lab/Material Fees:USD50 Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time

Environments and Change