First-Year Research Seminar: Reimagining the Museum for the 21st-Century

Catalog description

In this course, we will take a critical look at the socio-political and cultural role art museums have played in the past; address their problematic links to colonialism and elitism; and search for meaningful, progressive ways to make these long-standing institutions relatable and relevant to everyone today, including historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. We will develop new concepts for an all-inclusive museum that would not merely be a temple for the preservation and exhibition of artifacts from all over the world but serve as a forum of rigorous intellectual inquiry and spiritual exploration to faithfully reflect the diversity of modern society with its rich multitude of histories and lived experiences. Research projects and museum field trips will inform our discussions about the challenges museums are facing today as we observe their efforts to reinvent themselves as ethical and socially responsible institutions. We will highlight significant changes New York's major art institutions have recently implemented and evaluate their impact on the city?s cultural landscape. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, MoMA, The Frick Collection, and The Morgan Museum and Library. Together, we will document and evaluate diverse museum experiences, create new and unexpected connections through art, and articulate an inspired vision for a dynamic, engaging, and genuinely inclusive museum of the future. Our gained insights will inform our final project: the creation of an experimental, virtual platform that showcases what a museum could be, and, perhaps, should be.