Major Essay 1: Don't Hide This Artwork Away - Nasher Museum of Art

Major Essay 1:
Don’t Hide This Artwork Away
Overview and Logistics:
1400-1600 words (approximately 5 pages)
Wednesday, September 28, by class time: First Draft due
o Draft should be at least 1100 words
o Submit to Digital Dropbox in Blackboard, saved as
yourlastname_09282011.doc
o Bring a hard copy to class
Friday, September 30, by class time: Comments for Peers due
o Bring two hard copies to class (original and a photocopy)
o You will receive my comments via email by Friday night
Wednesday, October 12, by class time: Final Draft due
o Submit to Digital Dropbox in Blackboard, saved as
yourlastname_10122011.doc
Project:
We have analyzed many of the artworks in the “Eating Animals” exhibit so far,
writing detailed descriptions, considering the medium, and looking to the philosophies of
Aristotle and Porphyry and the responses by faculty members to help contextualize the
meanings of the artworks. In addition, we have touched upon how the artworks and
objects relate to topics that Jonathan Safran Foer discussed in his book Eating Animals.
As you know, there is much more to be said about each of the artworks and objects in the
exhibit. This project will allow you the opportunity to analyze a work of your choice in
greater detail and to make a substantial argument about its meaning. Through your
argument, you will enter into dialogue with the artist, different authors, and the larger
university community. Moreover, this assignment will help to develop skills in
establishing plans for revision.
For this project, you are writing as a curator for a university museum (like the
Nasher). The Eating Animals exhibit is about to be taken down and the artworks and
objects will be returned to storage in the basement of the museum. It is your task to
persuade the museum staff that the artwork you have selected should remain out on
display for students and faculty to see. So, within your essay, you should clearly and
thoroughly describe and visually analyze the artwork you are advocating for; articulate
your interpretation of its meaning and significance, as well as its appeal to university
students and faculty; and forward your argument with evidence from the texts we have
read in class, those posted on Blackboard and WordPress, and/or Foer’s book, as well as
from the artwork itself. You may draw upon your earlier short essays and in-class
writings, but this essay should be unified, well organized, and polished.
You must use at least three of these sources (each faculty response counts as a
single source). No outside sources should be included. We will start to practice formal
citation methods with this project. Thus, please cite your sources in footnotes using the
Chicago Manual of Style for the Humanities. Guidelines can be found in Sylvan Barnet’s
A Short Guide to Writing About Art on pages 324-331. Footnotes do not count as part of
your word count.
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Format:
The first draft of this project should be at least 1100 words; the final draft should
be 1400-1600 words. Do not go over the word limit. Your name, title, citations, etc. do
not count towards your word count. Please type your essay in Times New Roman 12-
point font, double-spaced, with 1” margins. Remember to include the following:
Your name and date in the upper left corner of the first page
A title (be creative!) centered above your essay
Introduction, including a clearly articulated thesis
Visual analysis
Conclusion
Footnote citations, using the Chicago Manual of Style for the Humanities
Page numbers in the bottom right corner of each page
Grading Criteria:
I am looking for projects that:
Follow the instructions detailed above.
Effectively demonstrate an understanding of your authorship role and the
audience you are addressing. Thus, your essay should be accessible to an
intellectual community that includes non-art-specialists, employ a professional
tone, provide a coherent argument, utilize a structured and professional format,
and be clear and concise.
Are clearly organized.
Have minimal errors.
Resources:
Remember that, in addition to writing tutors, The Writing Studio has a number of
useful resources on their website that can help you through the writing process. For this
project, you may especially want to read through the three “Developing an Argument”
handouts (Developing a Central Claim, Argument Essay, and Roadmaps). See
http://twp.duke.edu/writing-studio/resources/academic-writing/drafting.
Barnet’s A Short Guide to Writing About Art provides helpful guidelines for
analyzing and making an argument about a work of art. Also, Joseph Harris’s Rewriting
outlines some of the writing moves I am asking you to make in this project.
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