AMER313

This course begins with the premise that the United States has, from its inception, attempted to represent itself, and thereby become itself, through its museums. From Jefferson’s "Indian Hall" to Peale’s Museum, to the Smithsonian museums of today, the United States has used museums to forge national identity and national pride. The study of museums and similar institutions, as they develop over the long nineteenth century and into our own times, is the study of the development of a society of exhibition and display, but also of how these institutions, so influential in our own times, came into existence. Two site visits to NYC museums are included in the curriculum. This course is cross-listed with ARHT 313.

Arts, Humanities and Education

WRITING INTENSIVE (WRIT)