Class: Artists & Social Change
Teacher: Sadie Weinberger

Students in the Artists for Social Change course took a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to expand upon what they have been learning in class and gather inspiration. The trip was designed to focus on the Titus Kaphar collection entitled “The Jerome Project,” which was being shown alongside works by Kehinde Wiley and Stacy Waddell.

Artist Titus Kaphar (b. 1976, Kalamazoo, Michigan) reflects on the history of representation of Black Americans in his paintings, sculptures, installations, and films. His art seeks to reveal self-evident truths about our society and to dislodge and amend entrenched narratives. He challenges us to ponder whose lived experiences we consider, whose we forget, and whose we erase

-Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Students visited the exhibit paying close attention to the use of gold in artists’ depictions of Black subjects to evoke imagery of Byzantine-era paintings of saints. The class plans to use the “Jerome Project,” alongside other work by Titus Kaphar, as a template to think about creating and curating art that reflects their own personal experiences. The exhibit also encouraged students to consider how these personal experiences fit within a broader cultural and historical context and how that can be represented through art.

Course Description: Throughout history, artists have responded to social change through various modes of expression. The impact of the artist’s voice in interpreting society has often played a critical role in documenting historical events and shaping the future. This course will examine different socio-political changes through the lens of artists and artistic movements. Students will discuss the power of these artists’ work, their messages, and the movements they’ve sparked. Art’s role as a political tool will also be explored.