Cultural Arts

Introduction to the Course

In this course, we are going to be talking about various art forms. Mainly, we are going to focus on the visual arts and music. In our world, in our culture, there are many more art forms available to us. If you think about just what is art, then you begin to see art in all kinds of places.

Art is essentially the creation of something of beauty. You can break this definition down further, but for now - I want to be as broad as possible.

For example, there is clothing that is very utilitarian, while at the same time, there is designer fashion. Fashion in general has an artfulness to it. In other words, it is trying to do more than just what is needed. What is needed is to cover our bodies for protection, warmth, and modesty. Fashion goes much further than that. The fashion industry and the designers in particular give us numerous variations of outfits to fit our individual moods and personalities. You can see this kind of artful creativity in almost all aspects of our lives - from the cars we drive, to the houses or apartments we live in. In this way, art is all around us.

The performing arts have become a large part of our lives. How much time do we spend watching television? Many people would argue that much of what is on television is hardly art. That is true, but there are programs - dramas, even sit-coms that go beyond the formula. The best example that immediately comes to mind is "All In the Family." Just this morning, I heard on the radio that Carroll O'Connor died. He played Archie Bunker in this satire of American Life from the 1970's, which was at once poignant and hilarious. Movies are obviously the place where art meets life most frequently - in our culture. It is also the venue for much of today's classical music. Next time you are at the movies listen to the score. Some film scores are just cleverly compiled collections of pop songs - made for the purpose of selling - as CD's. That is not what I am talking about, many movies, like "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" which won the best film score at last year's Oscars is a great example of contemporary classical music.

Now, I would like to break down my definition of art. There are basically two categories of art - fine art and applied art. Fine art is art for art's sake. It has no practical use, whereas applied art has other uses. Fashion design is a good example of this. The only glaring exception to this rule is architecture. It clearly has a very practical use, but the architecture that is discussed in art text books goes beyond just the need. Often these building become monuments or landmarks. If you think of Sydney Australia, the opera house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright quickly comes to mind.

We will be focussing on the fine arts - music and visual. We will also discuss theater.

It is my hope that this course will be enjoyable as well as enlightening. I usually have two kinds of students. The first group loves the course. They are excited about getting to spend time studying something that interests them - that they might not otherwise have had time to think about. Then there's the group that does not see how this could be of any use to them as business majors or hotel managers, etc. Well, to these people, I say that art is a part of everyone's life - even a business person. And, when you're out in the business world and people are discussing art - you'll be able to contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way.

Studying and learning about art is beneficial because:
  • part of being human is creating
  • part of being human is needing that something more - the ability to dream, the ability to appreciate the beauty in the world around us
  • learning about art enriches our understanding of the world around us
  • learning through the arts is a great way to build skills that are applicable in any area of study - art helps you to see the broader picture

The best thing you can bring to this class is an open and inquisitive mind. If you can do that, I think you'll enjoy the experience.