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Museum Report, Part ONE 12 points / 12% of final grade Submit your essay via the link provided in CANVAS Your work will be checked via TurnItIn, the University’s plagiarism detection service.
The Museum Report is a process paper, to be completed in two (2) stages. These are instructions for Part One. Feedback will be provided before you complete Part Two. You will be expected to utilize that feedback before making revisions for Part Two, due later in the course.
For this assignment, you will visit an art museum and engage in a formal analysis of a selected artwork, considering the work as primary source. By formal analysis, I am asking you to consider the artwork’s visual attributes as they relate to the formal elements and principles of design. In addition to the visual elements, you will discuss the artist’s choice of medium. HOW TO PREPARE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT You will use and apply concepts learned in Module 2 in Canvas and Part 1 of the textbook. FORMAT AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: ¨ Part One of the Museum Report should be at least 4 full pages in length, no less than 1200 words. Include a word count at the bottom of your essay. ¨ Although I am calling this essay a “part” or a “stage” of a writing process, do NOT submit a draft. You are expected to submit a fully complete essay for both Part One and Part Two, with clearly developed introduction and conclusion paragraphs for each stage. ¨ Use MLA guidelines when composing your paper. Use 12-point font, Times New Roman, one inch margins and indent the first line of each new paragraph. Double-space your paper. Italicize all artwork titles. Writing in first person is acceptable. ¨ Since this paper will be submitted via TurnitIn, for privacy reasons, do NOT include your name or student ID within the paper. Replace your name with “Student.” Do not include a title page. ¨ Submit in a Word document (.doc, .docx) or convert to .pdf. Any other formats are NOT accepted and will result in a zero (0) grade. Corrupt files or incorrect documents will also result in a zero (0). ¨ Proofread your paper before submission. You must use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Utilize the resources provided by the Writing Studio at USF. They offer online resources in addition to in-person appointments. Another good online resource is the Purdue Online Writing Lab. ¨ Include proof of attendance (POA) at the end of your paper. Take a picture of your dated receipt (block out any sensitive information). If you go to a museum with free admission, you may have to ask specifically for a receipt. You may alternatively take a clear photograph of yourself (please include your face) at the museum. Ensure your image file is not too large as this may delay your submission. * Embed/Insert your POA image within the last page of your paper. * Three (3) points will be deducted if you fail to include POA. ¨ LATE POLICY: No late work is accepted. Remember, technical issues, problems with your computer, slow upload times, submission of incorrect files or file types, etc. will NOT exempt you from the late policy. Please take a moment and double check your submission.
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¨ IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TURNITIN: Turnitin assignments are submitted a bit differently than regular Canvas uploads. Simply uploading your paper does not mean the submission is complete. After uploading your paper, you must wait for the screen which asks you to review and click “Accept the Submission & Save.” After you believe your submission is complete, please go back to ensure your assignment went through successfully. Go to the Assignments tab in the Canvas menu and click on the assignment. You should see confirmation that it was submitted. Failure to correctly submit during the assignment’s open dates will result in a zero (0). Double check your submission!
WHICH MUSEUM TO VISIT? CHOOSING A MUSEUM AND SELECTING AN ARTWORK A list of local Florida museums is provided below. You may choose any one of the museums on the list without having to notify the instructor beforehand. However, we realize that many students are not local to the Tampa Bay area. Do not worry! Students who are located out-of-area (or for other circumstances such as transportation limitations or physical disability) and cannot visit a museum on this list MUST contact the instructor for suggestion and approval of an alternate museum by the end of the first week of class. Failure to seek pre-approval of a museum not on the list below will result in a reduced grade. List of Pre-Approved Local Tampa Bay Museums City Museum Museum Website Admission Price* Tampa Tampa Museum of Art http://www.tampamuseum.org Free for college students with ID Tampa Florida Museum of Photographic Arts https://fmopa.org $8 for students with ID St. Petersburg The James Museum of Western Art (new) https://thejamesmuseum.org/ $15 for students with ID St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts http://www.fine-arts.org $10 for college students with ID; Or on Thursdays, admission is $5.00 after 5 p.m. St. Petersburg Dali Museum http://www.thedali.org $17 with Student ID; Or $10 after 5pm on Thursdays; Free admission for USF St. Pete students. Parking on site is $10 (try using your USF ID for a parking discount, though not guaranteed); street parking is also available or consider parking lots on the nearby USF St. Pete campus Sarasota Ringling Museum http://www.ringling.org Free for USF students with ID Tarpon Springs Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art http://www.spcollege.edu/centr al/museum/ Free for students with ID Lakeland Polk Museum of Art http://www.polkmuseumofart.o rg Free for students with ID * Prices listed here are subject to change. Some museums are not open daily. Please visit the museum websites or call ahead to confirm hours, pricing options, discounts and parking.
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INSTRUCTIONS A work of art is the product of the dynamic interrelationships between the various art elements and principles. As you analyze the artwork, ask yourself why the artist made such choices. By considering the formal elements and principles of design involved, you can make yourself look more closely at the work of art, and thus understand more fully the artist’s intended vision, as well as noticing how the work reflects the time and place from whence it came. You must address ALL the prompts below within your essay, but your response need not be organized in the exact order given. Your paper must include proper introductory and concluding paragraphs. I. Formal Analysis (this section should be the “meat” of your paper): Find any work of art in the museum that interests you. You will engage in a thorough visual analysis of that work. Follow the guidelines below.
• Identify the work fully (artist name if known, title if available, time period or date, medium, dimensions or approximate dimensions). • Provide a brief description of the subject matter of the work.
• Analyze, describe, and discuss the work in terms of three (3) formal elements of art.
• Analyze, describe, and discuss the works’ composition using three (3) principles of design. o **IMPORTANT: It is expected that the analysis of the work’s formal elements and principles of design be the most in-depth and therefore most time should be spent on this section. You must demonstrate your understanding of the concepts learned in the course by utilizing appropriate course vocabulary within your analysis. Please use precise terminology associated with the elements and principles chosen. Failure to do so will result in a reduced grade. Consult the chapters and course material from Module 2. o Spend a good amount of time looking at the work and taking notes. It is helpful to provide the reader with an overall picture of the work you are describing. You may find it useful to pretend you are describing the work to someone who cannot see, but must create an impression of the work based solely on your words. Clearly and articulately analyze and describe the formal elements and principles of design that you see in the work. There may be many, but be selective and try to determine the most significant elements of composition. Remember to utilize key terms from the textbook associated with the specific elements/principles chosen.
• Is the work non-objective, representational, figurative, or abstract? Note that a work of art can fall into more than one of these categories. Please explain fully and in a way that demonstrates you have a correct understanding of the term(s) as it relates to our course content. II.
Discussion of Medium: Examine your artwork further by discussing the medium used and the artist’s technique and application of materials. Is the object two- or three-dimensional?
What limitations, if any, might the chosen medium create for the artist? Below are some further questions to consider, depending on the type of medium employed. See Part Two of your textbook (Media & Processes) for further information on art materials and media.
• Painting: How did the type of paint affect the strokes the artist could make? Was it fresco, oil, tempera, or watercolor? Was it a fast-drying paint that allowed little time to make changes? What kind of textures and lines
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was the artist able to create with this medium? Does it lend a shiny or flat look? How durable was the medium? Does the work look the same today as when the artist painted it?
• Drawing: Consider the materials utilized: metal point, chalk, charcoal, graphite, crayon, pastel, ink, and wash. Is the artist able to make controlled strokes with this medium? Would the tool create a thick or thin, defined or blurred line? Was the drawing intended to be a work of art in itself, or is it a study for another work, a peek into the artist’s creative process?
• Printmaking: What is the process the artist undertook to create this work? Did he or she need to carve or etch? Did the medium require a steady hand? Strength or patience?
• Photography: What is the process the artist undertook to create this work? Is it an example of early photography or more recent processes? Is it created from digital, film or other processes? Documentary? Staged?
• Sculpture: Is the sculpture high or low relief, or can we see it in the round? What challenges did the material present to the artist? Was the work created through a subtractive process or an additive one? What tools did the artist use to create the form? Is your work created from constructing or assembling things together?
• Craft: Is it made of fiber, textile, ceramics, metalwork, glass, etc? Is the art object considered craft or fine art? Why? Can works of fine art be utilitarian, in your opinion?
• Alternative media and processes: Is your work a video, sound art, interactive, a work of conceptual art or even a performance piece? How does it differ from traditional works of art? Did you encounter the actual work itself, or is it documentation of an event or a time-based piece? Do you find it easier or more difficult to apply a formal analysis to this type of work? Explain. I
II. Interpretation: This is the part of the paper where you go beyond description and offer a conclusion and your own informed opinion about the work.
• Consider how the formal aspects of the work and the subject matter work together to produce significant meaning. • How did the artist’s choice of materials and medium affect its message and reception?
• What questions does the work raise or leave you with, if any? Is it possible to make a reasoned statement about the artist’s aim?
• Describe your personal reaction to the work. Did a visual analysis change your first reaction and interpretation of the work? In addition to the above, include the following within your essay:
• Which museum did you attend? (This should be stated in the introductory paragraph.)
• What is the basic organization of the museum’s collections? Discuss your personal overall impression of the experience itself, the museum, the exhibitions and their presentation.
• Do not forget to include your “Proof of Attendance.” See page 1 of these instructions.
TIPS: While you are at the museum • ALWAYS present your USF ID at the ticket counter – it will give you discounted or free admission.
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• You may be asked to check large bags at the front desk. Use pencil (not pen) to write notes.
• Do not take photos unless you are sure it is allowed. If in doubt, ask.
• Museum staff take pride in their collections and are concerned about the valuable objects in their care. The architecture itself can also be somewhat forbidding. However, don’t let such rules, or a building’s imposing facade, make you feel unwelcome: the artwork is there for you to appreciate!
• Although audio guides and wall texts next to the artworks in the museum can help you understand the works and give you valuable information and insight, it is important that you spend time viewing and analyzing the artworks on display and responding to the questions in your own words. Rubric
The rubric below is a general guide. A rubric with points and specific grading criteria is attached to the assignment in Canvas and will be used in evaluation. Museum Report, Part One – General Grading Rubric POINTS out of 15 SUPERIOR WORK GOOD AVERAGE – BELOW AVERAGE POOR A B C D, F POA no POA: -3 points Identification, Description, Interpretation & Analysis Followed all directions. Provided an exceptionally detailed, insightful and accurate analysis throughout. Multiple instances of precise use of key terms. Exceptionally critical, relevant and consistent commentary on connections made between use of elements/principles, subject matter and meaning. Followed all directions. Proficient description of work with ample observations but more elaboration and insight is needed. Needs further use of key terms to show full understanding of course concepts. Consistent connections made between use of elements/principles, subject matter and meaning. Followed most but not all directions. Descriptions somewhat clear but discussion lacks sufficient detail. Omits important elements/principles/detail but does include several accurate observations. Demonstrates adequate understanding of elements/principles but lacks sufficient detail. Did not follow direction. Lacks many important details. Limited or inaccurate use of terms. Little or no discussion of how the artist expressed his/her idea/concept or no analysis of how the artist used technique & elements/principles. Lack of in-depth analysis.
Organization Exceptionally clear, logical, eloquent, thorough development of ideas. Excellent transition between paragraphs. Plenty of evidence provided for support. Provides identifiable and effective introductory and concluding paragraphs.
Clear and logical flow of ideas. Good transitions between paragraphs with only a couple of rough patches. Good points, observations, insights made but not entirely fleshed out. Introduction/conclusion identifiable but a little awkward.
Somewhat clear and logical development but many observations need elaboration/development. Attempts to use transitions between ideas and paragraphs but still reads like a rough draft. Needs more supporting detail/elaboration to flesh out key points. Introduction/conclusion very unclear.
Paper lacks clear and logical development of ideas, organizational structure confusing. Weak or no transition between ideas and paragraphs. Did not provide an introduction and/or conclusion.
Language Conventions
Concise, clear, with flawless or near-flawless grammar, spelling and paragraphing. Eloquent style.
Clear with mostly proper grammar, spelling and paragraphing. A few awkward phrases but not enough to confuse meaning.
Some errors in grammar, spelling. Paragraphs not unified. Level of language approaches a college level, but imprecise word choice.
Inconsistent or bad grammar, incorrect spelling, haphazard or no paragraphing. Level of language below college level.
