Examines the various roles of art museums in American society, as sites of meaning-making and knowledge production, activism and protest. Studies the origins of the public museum, the historical evolution of practices of collecting and display, and the changing relationships between institutions, objects, and the viewing public. Investigates the idea of the museum as contested ground by addressing contemporary issues such as censorship, restitution, repatriation, labor, equity, and the ethics of care and knowledge. Fulfills the general education requirements in Fine Arts and Thinking Critically and Analytically. [ 3 credits ]