"Redbone" explores the intersection of Indigeneity and Black, Rural White, and Hispanic culture as evidenced in art and language. In many cases, this heritage has been suppressed due to assimilation pressures and religious institutions enforcing conversion. Rather than focusing on distinctions between these groups, this course will highlight shared cultural aspects and how Native culture persists despite ethnic labels such as "Black" and "Hispanic" and non-ethnic labels such as "American." Through an Indigenous feminist lens, we will examine Indigenous histories in the context of European history and explore resistance culture, with the goal of awakening the inner Indigenous spirit in all of us. The course includes drawing, painting, carving, and creative writing.
This course explores murals as public living spaces, visual geographical multi-layered zones for political activism, expressing cultural identity and liberation, social/cultural awareness and aesthetic advancement. By using a series of documentary films, starting with Mexican social realist painters from the early 1930’s to the present murals brought forth from the BLM movement, we will look at these movements as sources of meaning and forms of social justice activism. Students will also center their Critical Ethnic Studies pedagogy to focus and polish their artistic vision. We ask, what is the role of mural art as it is displayed strategically in public spaces? Where does public space become available and to whom? Who claims public spaces and how? How do we define public space and who has the authority to have a voice and be heard in the public realm and why?

We are very proud to announce that this semester inaugurates a new live mural project at CCA. Most of our classwork will have you painting on the Double Ground Mural Project. This means we will have the responsibility of carrying out a design produced by Mural Project Fall 2024. Students must be prepared to execute this design to its fullest measure, and this will be the basis of your final culminating thesis. More details will be shared in person on day one of the Spring semester.