Public Art in Greensboro Assignment Information

ART 100: Introduction to Art

Instructor:  Harriet Hoover

Fall 2013

Project 1:  Public Art Proposal

Project overview

Students will research contemporary public art and create a proposal for a public artwork on NC A&T campus or in the Greensboro metropolitan area.  Students will learn about the wide spectrum of public art including: traditional and abstract sculpture, performance and socially engaged works of art, and time based media installations.  Based on their research of Greensboro’s history and the relevance of art in the public sphere, students will design, ideate, and create a physical mock-up of a proposed work of art.

Contemporary Artists/Organizations to research:

Jeanne-Claude and Christo

David Hammonds

Claus Oldenburg

Pablo Helguera

Paul Ramirez Jones

Jenny Holzer

Jeff Koons

Maya Lin

Richard Serra

Robert Smithson

Louise Bourgeois

Mel Chin / Safe House: http://melchin.org/oeuvre/render

Thomas Demand

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

New York Public Art Program: http://www.nycgovparks.org/art

Art in Odd Places: www.aiop.org

Key dates to remember:

October 1: Assignment 1 due (research + proportionally correct drawings due)

      Field Trip to the Weatherspoon Art Museum

October 10:  Assignment 2 due (site study using perspective)

October 17: Assignment 3 due (initial sketches for a public work of art)

October 31:  Assignment 4 due (physical mock-up of public work of art due)

November 1^st and 2^nd: A&T Homecoming weekend + Art in Odd Places Greensboro

November 14:  Final drawings due

Step 1:  Research public art, contemporary artists who make public art, discover/draw/take field notes from a work of public art in Greensboro.

First, you must identify what constitutes “public art”.  Research text and Internet resources.    Find a work of public art on campus or in the Greensboro area.  

Assignment 1 (Due Tuesday, October 1): 

·       At least 1 page written text of your public art research and information on your chosen public artwork.  Answer the following questions: Who made the work? What is the medium (media), dimensions, and date it was created?  Does the work commemorate an event?  How is it relevant to Greensboro’s history?  How does the public interact with the work?  Please send your written analysis via email to Ms. Hoover at hhoover@ncat.edu by Tuesday, October 1 at 5 pm.  Papers should be double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman Font.

·       Create a drawing of the sculpture you are studying.  This must be a proportionally correct drawing of the sculpture/work of art using modeled line.  You may take pictures of the work and draw from the image.  This must be done on an 18x24” piece of drawing paper using media of your choice (ink, graphite, or charcoal).  Turn this in to Ms. Hoover on Thursday, Sept. October 1.

Step 2:  Select a site to propose a public work of art

·       You will select a site on NC A&T campus or in the Greensboro metropolitan area.  Things to think about: What is the significance of the space?  Who will interact with the work in that space?  Does the space itself have historical significance?

Assignment 2:  Create a detailed perspective drawing of the space you plan to propose a public work of art.

Assignment 2: Using, one point or two point perspective, create a site study of where you would like to propose a public work of art.  This drawing must be done in graphite, on 18x24” paper.  You must use the rules of linear perspective to create a representative site analysis.  Due on October 10.

Step 3:  Initial sketches of proposed work of art + physical mock-up of proposed art work

·       Inspired by the list of contemporary artists provided, students will begin to design and plan what their work of art will look like.  Students will create 3-4 drawing of multiple angles and points of view, thinking about materiality, scale, and form.  Due October 17. 

·       Students will also make a sculptural mock-up of their work of art using cardboard, found objects, and other materials that are available to them.

Due October 31.

Step 4:  Final Drawings of your proposal

·       Students will create multiple drawings to present to the class and Art Department. Drawings will covey the following: exploration of the work of art in context to the site and the public, exploration of materiality and the principals of design, convey historical relevance and conceptual contextualization, research installation and methods of construction. 

                   Due November 14.

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=1778