Can an economic system predicated on infinite growth achieve sustainability on a finite planet? This question will likely define the twenty-first century. This course aims to grapple with this paradox, examining the relationships and tensions between the globally dominant form of economy - capitalism - and global climate change. We will explore the interwoven rise of capitalism and emergence of fossil fuel energy, as well as the global expansion of capitalism and the connections between resources, economic growth, and political power.

This course will explore the historical, political, economic, social, and cultural contexts in which human-environment interactions occur. We will cover critical topics and trends in the field of political ecology, from its early manifestations to more recent expansions. Using case studies from the global south and north, we will discuss factors that shape social and environmental change across scales from the personal to the global, and we will examine the role of gender, race, class, and power in struggles over resources.

This course is an introduction to the four basic areas of printmaking: relief, intaglio, screen printing and lithography. Students will begin the semester learning the basics of each technique through attending demonstrations and working on small projects in each area. Students will then choose to focus on one of the four processes, spending the remainder of the semester learning more advanced methods within their chosen area and completing a series of in-depth projects.

Most of the environmental challenges we face are complex and interdisciplinary in nature. This course introduces students to the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to both understand the interrelationships of the natural world, as well as to identify and analyze environmental problems and think critically about alternative solutions for addressing them. Key concepts from ecology, biogeochemistry, and other fields inform our study of climate change, water resources, soil sustainability, food production, and other topics.

Concentration on individual artistic development. Emphasis will be placed on experimentation, thematic development, and critical review. Students may elect to take this course more than once.

In Sculpture I, demonstrations and introductory projects will familiarize students with the tools and processes used to form and manipulate materials such as wood, metal, plaster, paper, wax, and glass. Students will also be asked to explore the potential of combining new technologies in media and fabrication with traditional approaches into immersive sculptural experiences. Each project will present students with a series of conceptual problems to solve. In this way, art-making is positioned as a process of finding individual and independent solutions to three-dimensional problems.

This hands-on interdisciplinary introduction to the tools and practices of 2D, 3D, and 4D art will include drawing, object making, and time-based exploration. Studio work is grounded in an embodied approach to process, and explores the relationship between perception and cognition. The course culminates with a final project which links conceptual exploration and personal expression to formal skill-building. Studio assignments will be supplemented with critiques, discussion, and collaboration, as well as study of relevant contemporary and historical artists.