How to Write About Art

In this course we will discuss how and why we engage with works of art while taking into consideration the role of the art critic. We will read short selections from historical and contemporary writings about art by various authors and artists such as Hilton Als, John Berger, Gary Indiana, Chris Kraus, Maggie Nelson, Yoko Ono, and others. Students in this course will look at art and engage with the Middlebury College Museum of Art collection, along with other resources. We will practice writing, thinking, and talking about our experiences in the presence of art and learn about pitching, editing, and publishing to understand what it means to be an art critic and to be part of an artistic community or communities. Students will produce a portfolio of short works and pitch a piece to a current magazine at the end of term.