ARTH 298 - Curating Immigration Histories: Objects and Archives

The course explores the material histories of immigrant communities in Providence, alongside the history of Wheaton College. Via historical objects, photography and other evidence, we’ll try to understand how our college and region have responded to demographic changes and to shifting ideas about national identity. Students’ research will serve as an incubator for a future exhibition, also featuring work by students in ARTH 298. This course is designed to develop professional skills, through a practical hands-on introduction to curatorial research. Using visual objects and documents from Wheaton’s Permanent Collection, Gebbie Archives, and other resources in Providence, RI, we will sharpen our interpretative skills with primary historical sources. In the process, students will see how an exhibition or public program is generated by humanities research. Our goal will be to reactivate historical materials with new questions, to create a relevant multi-dimensional visual presentation that speaks to a diverse 21st-century public.

Credits 1