MUSEUM RESEACH ASSIGNMENT-Part I

Proposals Due: Feb. 10 (MW); Feb. 11 (TTh)

Library Research:  Feb. 24 (MW); Feb. 25 (TTh)

DUE:  March 15 (MW); March 16 (TTh)

This assignment is designed to acquaint you with one of the major art collections in the United States, and to exercise your skills in descriptive analysis and in conducting research.  In order to fulfill this assignment, you will be required to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art website https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection in order to choose two objects as the focus of your research.  (For this assignment you may also, if you choose, visit the San Antonio Museum of Art and/or the McNay Art Museum to select some of your objects.  Note that admission is free at both SAMA and the McNay when you show your SAC id.)  Read the assignment guidelines below carefully, as you will be responsible for meeting all requirements.

1.  Getting started:

Browse the “Collection Highlights” and use the various ‘filters’ to see what cultures and media are represented in the Met’s collection.  Start by selecting

1.  one artwork that engages your interest from one of the following non-Westerncollections: Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, Indian), Near Eastern, Islamic, Oceanic, African or Pre-Columbia (Mixtec, Aztec or Inca only), and

2. one additional artwork from one of the following galleries: European,

American, or Contemporary.  (You may, if you would like, substitute a work of American or European art from the McNay Museum for this part.) 

A total of two works will be selected, both of which must be from the time period covered in this course, 1300 through present day (use the date/era filters provided by the website, and check date on labels). You may find that the artworks you have chosen are visually appealing to you, or disturbing; you may be familiar with the represented subject matter, or it may be a complete mystery.  In any case select works of art that you think have considerable potential for an in-depth research project.  (Keep in mind that one of the objects will be used in Part II of this assignment.)

2.  Submit selections:  On Feb. 10 (MW) or 11 (TR), you will submit to me in writing the titles of your selected artworks (include all label information, and submit in Canvas under “Museum Paper Proposal” under Assignments).  Your proposal should also include five or more important keywords relevant to each object (culture, country, period/century, medium, technique, subject category, artist).  Your selections will be approved or revised as needed.  Your selections will be approved or revised as needed.

3. Describe (use the worksheets I have provided to help collect required information):

Write a short description of each of the objects, including,

•         a.  an identification of the object (use museum label information),

               b.  a thorough description of the object, which should include the following:                               

       medium (e.g. bronze sculpture, oil painting, print, etc.), technique (e.g.

       woodcut print, engraving, cast bronze, etc.), method of construction (how

       was it put together?), approximate size, and shape and/or format;

 

 c. if the work is representational, describe the image in the most basic terms. 

    Do not attempt to interpret iconography at this point; just report what you see.

4.    Investigate:

         Your next task will be to do some brief research.  A library session scheduled for Wed., Feb. 24 (MW) or Thurs., Feb. 25 (TR) during our regular class period will help you start your investigation.  

You will be required to consult two (2) scholarly sources to find out more about each of these two objects (four sources total).  A reference librarian and I will assist you in finding these sources during the library session.  These sources may help you find out more about the artist who made the work (if attributed to a known artist), the subject of the artwork, the medium used to make it and/or its particular style (see worksheet).  Do not use your textbook or general encyclopedias.  One (but, only one) of your four sources may be a website (this means a source that exists only as a website), though it must be a legitimate one (the rule of thumb is that it must come from a museum or academic institution and have an author; look for .org or .edu sites.) Your research should help illuminate the work of art for you, bringing new insights to the first-hand observations you made while at the museum.

  5.  Final Museum Paper:

         Your final paper will consist of five pages, organized in the following manner:

1. A thorough description of object #1. (20%)
2. Information you learned about object #1 from your research. (25%)
3. A thorough description of object #2. (20%)
4. Information you learned about object #2 from your research. (25%)
5. Works Cited page, containing two properly cited sources for each object (four sources total).  (10%)

You may use the MLA or Turabian citation style.  (Guides to both citation formats are available online: see https://lib.trinity.edu/lib2/cite.php, or  http://sacguide.libguides.com/content.php?pid=216001&sid=1796701)

(NOTE: This is not a single ‘comparative’ essay, so you need not tie the two objects together.)

GRADING

            Your paper will be graded on the thoroughness of your description and research, and your ability to relate secondary information (research information) to first-hand observation.  Also, five points of your total grade will be deducted if you do not attend the library session.   Your properly cited and complete (four sources) Works Cited page will constitute 10% of your assignment grade.

Museum contact information:

San Antonio Museum of Art

200 W. Jones Ave

San Antonio, TX

(210) 978-8100

Hours: 

Mon. – Closed

Tues & Fri.. - 10 AM – 7 PM

Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun. – 10 AM – 5 PM

McNay Art Museum

6000 N. New Braunfels

San Antonio, TX

(210) 824-5368

Hours:  Mon. & Tues. – Closed

Wed, Thurs., Fri. - 10 AM – 6 PM

Sat. 10 AM-5PM

Sun. 12-5 PM