Relevant Course Outcomes
Students will be able to:
demonstrate in their writing a knowledge of rhetoric, uses of evidence, process-oriented writing, and academic community as related to the course topic of cultural heritage and curatorial activism;
articulate importance of and employ a variety of research methods and genres;
obtain and evaluate reference materials, books, and articles, among any other sources needed;
employ MLA or APA citation formats properly; and
develop insights effectively through written and oral communication.
During the semester, we will each develop a Mini-Exhibition focused on topics of our individual choices. These Mini-Exhibitions will consist of three artifacts/pieces of cultural heritage from New England, an Exhibition Guide Essay that will lay out the significance of the selected theme, and an Annotated Bibliography. The final products will be provided in a public venue on the Cultural Heritage through Image site for the enjoyment of all Adult Learning in the Fitchburg Area (ALFA) members, some of whom will be mentors throughout the semester.
This semester-long assignment directly addresses anti-racism and related issues, giving you an opportunity to explore not only the heritage of these issues but your own stances, experiences, and beliefs. More importantly, it emphasizes how writing can address those issues, seeking to rectify exclusions of marginalized heritage from cultural heritage spaces. Your writing can have an impact on others when you write both effectively and passionately.
Curatorial Activism, according to Maura Reilly, is “the practice of organizing art exhibitions with the principle aim of ensuring that certain constituencies of artists are no longer ghettoized or excluded from the master narratives of art.” We will expand that definition from only “art” to “cultural heritage” more broadly.
Your selected theme should fit into one of these categories. If you are considering a theme that does not fit into one of these categories, then speak to Dr. T prior to writing your Proposal.
Anti-Racism (example)
Anti-Violence/#MeToo (example)
Black/Black Lives Matter (example)
Climate Change (example)
COVID-19 (example)
Disability (Physical and/or Mental) (example)
Gender/LGBTQIA+ (example)
Indigenous Peoples (example)
LatinX (example)
Marginalized Groups and Pop Culture (example)
Trauma/Healing (example)
Women (example)