9100 - (Self) Care for Artists: A Practical Laboratory
Course Description
This course takes Audre Lorde’s famous words, “caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” as a starting point to examine care as both a creative and intellectual practice to support sustainable art-making. The course is thematically arranged around the principles of care, failure, pleasure, and gifts to unpack the nuanced textures of these sometimes fraught concepts.
Through a range of art historical and theoretical sources, we will unpack the liberatory potentials of these themes as explored by artists and scholars including Audre Lorde, Howardena Pindell, Sara Ahmed, and José Esteban-Muñoz. The practical laboratory aspect of this course asks students to consider the infrastructures, both structural and personal, that support self- and mutual-care and to explore tools that support their artistic and scholarly practices.
Learner Outcomes
Following completion of this course, you should be able to:- Develop a working definition and practice of self-care, based in its historical application and personal relevance.
- Consider learning and art making as a potential source of care for self and community.
- Explore collaboration and teaching as a mode of learning and community building.
Notes
For RISD Students:
RISD Continuing Education (CE) credit is treated as transfer credit by RISD’s undergraduate degree programs. If approved, satisfactory completion of this course with a ‘C’ or better can count as 3 transfer credits toward Theory and History of Art and Design (THAD) elective requirements. Complete the Prior Approval for Liberal Arts Credit form in etrieve before completing the online course registration.
Students from institutions other than RISD:
Students seeking academic credits are urged to contact their home institution to arrange prior approval before registering. Policies on transfer credit vary by institution and by program, and it is at the discretion of your home institution to determine what credits it will accept and how they might meet individual academic requirements.
For additional information about RISD Summer Intensives and Transfer Credit Policies, visit our webpage.
Prerequisites
Students must be an adult age 18 or older to participate.