Current Art Events Paper
Art 1800: Idea and the Visual Arts
One of the goals of this class is to promote awareness of current events/issues happening in the arts in the world. The objective of this assignment is to discover and critically evaluate what is currently happening in the art world.
Students will be responsible for finding a current article about a Western (chapters 14, 15, 16 17,21, 22 and 13) visual arts topic at the national or world level. Make sure the topic is relevant to the course. Music, theater and dance should be avoided for this assignment. Find an article at the library or online. Some places to look include, but are not limited to:
- The New York Times (any day under Arts section), and New York Times Magazine (Sunday only)
ARTnews magazine
Art Forum magazine
www.artforum.com
Raw Vision (outsider art)
Flash Art magazine
www.flashartonline.com
Artnet News
- https://news.artnet.com
After choosing a visual arts article, read it carefully and take notes. Do not choose an article that only DESCRIBES an art opening or exhibit. Your choice of the article is important. Write a reaction report to the article.
The paper will be three to four pages in length, double spaced with 1” margins on top, bottom and both sides, following the Sample Paper Format provided. If the paper is not the required length, or does not adhere to this format, the grade will be reduced.
The first section will be an introduction and a brief summary or abstract of the article. What is the article, and this paper, about? Refer to the article, not just the topic. (Use terms from the textbooks if possible.)
The second section is a literature review of the article. What was the article about? In your own words, describe the important points and information discussed in the article. Your goal is to provide foundational knowledge about the topic and to gain an understanding of the issue.
In the Discussion section describe the importance of the article. Explain the social, political, religious or creative issues that the article brings to the forefront. (The article chosen must include some or all of these issues.) Articles that merely describe an exhibit or opening generally will not contain these issues. Highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s point of view. What are the pros and cons? What are some alternative points of view or approaches that another person might take?
Why did the author write the article? What is the author trying to communicate? Does the author take a position? Can that position be argued from an alternative perspective? Provide examples from the article. When using words directly from the article in your paper, use quotation marks to avoid plagiarism. You must also include a parenthetical reference or footnote to indicate where exactly your quotation comes from.
In the Conclusion of the paper, summarize and discuss your own interpretations/reflections. How do you connect to this article personally? Take a position on the issues at hand. Do you agree or disagree? Why do you have that opinion? Support with details from your research.
Refer to the rubric to make sure all the components necessary have been included for a good paper.
Include a complete reference to the article at the end of the paper. Use any style manual (APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, Campbell). Use vocabulary/art terms in the textbooks, including the glossary. This paper will be submitted in person or via the Current Event Assignment link on Blackboard on the week that it is due. Please write the paper in a word document and attach the file if it is submitted via Blackboard. A PDF is also acceptable. Study the Current Events Rubric for the greatest success!
Your Paper Title Here- Centered
Type a brief introduction or abstract here. Present the issue your research addresses. One concise paragraph should suffice. What is the article, and this paper, about? Note that margins are 1”, Times New Roman 12 pt is used, and the paper is double spaced. Keep section headings.
Literature Review
Indent paragraphs. Here you will offer a clear, concise, and complete summary of the
article you have read. This should be done in 2-3 paragraphs.
In-text citations that are direct quotes should include the author’s name(s), the publication
year, and page numbers. If you are paraphrasing a source, APA encourages you to include page
numbers (Smith, 2016, p. 76)
Discussion
For this paper, here you will discuss the ramifications of the article. Why did the author write the article? What is the author trying to communicate? Does the author take a position?
Can that position be argued from an alternative perspective? What far-reaching effects might this issue have? Provide examples from the article. When using words directly from the article in your paper, use parenthetical or in-text citations to avoid plagiarism. (This is where more background info could be necessary.)
Explain the social, political, religious or creative issues that the article brings to the
forefront. (The article chosen should include some or all of these issues.) Articles that merely describe an exhibit or opening generally will not contain these issues. Highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s point of view. What are the pros and cons?
2
YOUR PAPER TITLE HERE (ALL CAPS)
Conclusions
Write your conclusions- You should re-state the issue and explain what you think about the topic now that you have investigated it. Summarize and discuss your own interpretations/reflections. How do you connect to this article personally?
Take a position on the issues at hand Do you agree? Disagree? Give reasons for your thoughts. Support with details from your research. Evaluate, and explain, and elaborate. Are there any further questions that should be explored?
References
Cite your sources here. Use APA (or other) format for web or journal articles. I am requiring you to have minimum of TWO sources: Your original article, (must be current, within past 12 months) and one other source for information (no date restriction).
(To format a hanging indent in Word: Place your cursor in front of the first line to be indented. Click on Format, then Paragraph. In the pop up box, find indentation, then Special. Use the drop down menu under Special and select ‘Hanging Indent”)
Example using your textbook: Getlein, M. (2020). Living with art(12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education. 3
