An introduction to how the archaeology and management of ancient sites and artifacts from Greek and Roman civilizations is carried out in the field. Archaeologists play an important role in recovering these past civilizations, while museums help to spread the information gathered to the wider public. What happens to the thousands of objects uncovered during excavation? How do museums curate these artifacts and presented them to the public? What role do we all have in protecting and preserving these past cultures? These questions and more will be discussed through an in-depth look at archaeological projects, museum collections, and the ethical debates surrounding the study of the ancient civilizations.

In this class we study both the figurative and the literal museumification of music. We investigate the work concept’s power to ossify certain musical monuments, and how shifting reception histories and issues of performance practice can shape that process. We consider new ideas in critical organology dealing with the agency of musical instruments and the complex networks of which they are a part. Touching on museum ethics, we discuss the opportunities and challenges that curators face when dealing with musical instruments as museum-objects (e.g. How should they be displayed, and what story does it tell? To play or not to play?). The concept of “authenticity” serves as a through-line in this course, continuously bringing our discussions back to the question of what it means for something (a piece of music, an instrument) to be an “original.” Open to all students. 1 unit - Chang

This hands-on, interactive seminar takes up key discussions at the cusp of major shifts in curatorial practice and museum studies. The course will explore non-traditional curatorial methods, practices, and praxes by focusing on four relational approaches: facilitating, organizing, interpreting, and caring, as necessary disruptions to dominant curatorial methodologies. Students will consider the following questions: How are contemporary curatorial art practices challenging past conventions rooted in white supremacy and inequality? How can interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary methods be mobilized to advance decolonizing conversations and respectful relations in exhibition-making, visual display, and community-based practices and beyond? Students will gain critical skills in visual description and written analysis, curatorial dreaming, and oral presentation. Projects are tailored for academic and professional development – meaning, students will develop content that can be further honed and used beyond the scope of the course.

An introduction to how the archaeology and management of ancient sites and artifacts from Greek and Roman civilizations is carried out in the field. Archaeologists play an important role in recovering these past civilizations, while museums help to spread the information gathered to the wider public. What happens to the thousands of objects uncovered during excavation? How do museums curate these artifacts and presented them to the public? What role do we all have in protecting and preserving these past cultures? These questions and more will be discussed through an in-depth look at archaeological projects, museum collections, and the ethical debates surrounding the study of the ancient civilizations.