As students fret over perfecting their schedules last-minute, some struggle to select a holistic courseload to engage in all that the University has to offer. There are many exciting art-related classes available every semester, in which students often take advantage of the opportunity to broaden their horizons, fulfill graduation requirements and in certain cases boost their GPA. Whatever the case, here is a list of a few, waiting to be added to schedules and hidden in the Student Information System.
ENGL 3611 “The Art and Science of Time Travel”
“The Art and Science of Time Travel” is a small, discussion-based course that would be a dream for any science fiction fan. Taught in the English department, the course offers an interdisciplinary look at time travel as seen through novels, film and music. Students will learn about concepts in physics related to time travel and use them to investigate the idea in various art forms, such as the movie “Interstellar,” the novel “Kindred” and music by Bob Marley.
According to the course description on SIS, assignments may include designing a time machine and drafting proposals for policy in time travel — presenting a distinctly imaginative learning environment. Assoc. Prof. Njelle Hamilton teaches the cohort of 25 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. To explore time travel in art with an academic lens, students should consider enrolling.
DRAM 1010 “How Theatre Works”
“How Theatre Works” is a great opportunity for those looking to explore theatre who may have passed on the opportunity in high school. Throughout the semester, students will read, watch and create their own plays, getting a well-rounded and intensive look at theatre. The 50-person lecture has sections on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Senior Lecturer Cady Garey teaches the course, helping students study plays and production style in an effort to uncover how theatre artists can fashion creative messaging. “How Theatre Works” is sure to provide a creative outlet and exciting way to engage in theatre to any student looking to get involved in the art form.
DRAM 1220 “Art of the Creature”
For a wholly hands-on experience, students can take “Art of the Creature,” a 20-person course instructed by drama department Lecturer Annie Temmink. In this course, a semester’s efforts culminate in the construction of ornate creature puppets. Moreover, it introduces students to the physical and artistic methods involved in their creation, involving unorthodox designs and industrious engineering.
The handheld or human-size wearable puppets crafted in previous years were featured as supporting characters in the Stan Winston & Steve Warner Festival of the Moving Creature, an unparalleled and vibrant celebration of large-scale puppetry. Rarely do classes at the University end in a parade, but this course’s final festival will mirror the joy and enthusiasm cultivated in the classroom.
MUSI 3065 “Africanfuturism”
“Africanfuturism” offers compelling lessons on science fiction in African culture, history and mythology, particularly through its music. The course covers works by artists like Janelle Monae, Octavia Butler and Sun Ra with additional explorations of the genre in African film and literature. Students will learn how African thought and creativity evolved throughout history via these mediums of speculative fiction.
Prof. Nicole Mitchell Gantt and graduate Arts & Sciences student Dilshan Weerasinghe teach the 22-person course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. The course offers an uncommon way for students to engage with African music and art, teaching unparalleled lessons about its roots and evolution.
MDST 2810 “Cinema As An Art Form”
Students looking to expand their film repertoires may be interested in “Cinema As An Art Form,” a Media Studies class that reveals how film is made and how its role in art has morphed over time. Taught by Lecturer Matthew Marshall, “Cinema As An Art Form” meets on Mondays from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to tackle a distinct movie each week. The class carefully scrutinizes film techniques in works ranging from niche black and white classics to modern staples of entertainment. In the large 230-person lectures, students will pick up on how to spot artistic techniques, critique film and analyze it within its periodical context.
Whatever art form calls your name, Grounds likely has an opportunity in store deep within SIS. This spring, STEM students looking to enroll in a one-of-a-kind art class and humanities majors vying for new genres of lectures should take advantage of the riveting arts classes the University offers.
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