This course takes a new look at contemporary art issues. We will look at art that incorporates spiritual and ethical renewal, as well as social responsiveness and environmental transformation, as methods employed by a growing movement of activist artists. Students will work in the ways they are accustomed to as studio artists, while also taking these skills outside the studio to create community-based arts projects that address local social and environmental concerns. The heart of this course is the notion that artists are problem solvers, and with this inherent skill we can work on solutions to many of the important issues of our times, as artists. Half of or time will be spent in the classroom, creating student-designed project proposals. The otherhalf of our time will be spent working out in the community. We will work on site-specific art projects in collaboration with several community-based organizations and neighborhood groups located in West Oakland. Students will make the transition from their studio work to working in community in public settings. Diversity Studies Studios introduce students to the interrelations between race/ethnicity, art making and design practices. These courses complement the Diversity Studies Seminars with their hands-on approach in which themes of ethnic identity are incorporated into studio and community practices.

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