International Arts in Context
Lang College at the American University in Paris (AUP)
Within the arts, the cultural
connection between Paris and New York has been profound and abiding for most of
the twentieth century, if not earlier, and remains so to this day. Indeed, the
history of dance, music, theater and visual arts (whether painting, sculpture
or more modern media such as photography, film and video) is simply
unimaginable without the constant interchange of ideas between these two cities. In the twenty-first century, this powerful
nexus of urban life and artistic practice continues to develop in newly
emerging urban centers throughout the world.
The “International Arts: Arts in Context:” concentration, situated
within the Eugene Lang College arts major, examines this dynamic through an
exchange program with the American University in Paris. Each student designs an
individual program of study, dividing his or her time equally between exploring
an artistic discipline (such as dance, music, theater or visual art) and a
humanistic area of study (such as philosophy, history, culture and media, or
global studies), and each program highlights the artistic and intellectual affinities
between the two cities, as well as emerging developments in other global
centers.
Program requirements
- Each student writes a proposal,
developed in consultation with a faculty advisor, outlining his or her course
of study and subject to approval by the chair.
- Each program must include a
minimum of one semester of study abroad in Paris, enrolling in a least three
approved courses at the partner institution; if spending two semesters abroad,
the student must enroll in at least six courses pertinent to this
concentration.
- The normal arts major requirements
for Arts in Context concentrators apply: five arts courses, five humanities
courses, two integrative (LINA) courses plus senior work, for a total of 13
courses.
- The core courses at AUP (“The
World, the Text and the Critic”) may be used to substitute for the integrative
LINA classes.
- Each student’s senior work must
reflect a global component and may result in the production of a creative
portfolio, a scholarly essay or some other form of senior work; designed in
consultation with a faculty advisor, it is subject to approval by the chair.
- Proficiency in French is strongly
urged, although not required, for all concentrators, whether they are planning
to spend one or two semesters in Paris.
As part of this exchange program, AUP
students at Lang have access to the arts department’s large number of
electives, most of which explore New York City as part of their subject matter;
classes regularly attend concerts, visit galleries and alternative performance
venues. AUP students interested in the
studio or performing arts can take courses throughout the Lang and New School
arts curriculum, as well as participated in performance or workshop
opportunities throughout the semester.
Most Lang arts classes are open to students without prior experience;
students at any level may enroll in acting, playwriting, drawing, painting,
dance and music classes taught by professional artists, many of whom live in
New York and work throughout the world. Students interested in the visual
arts can take selected classes at Parsons the New School for Design, while
those drawn to music can explore offerings in the Jazz Program or Mannes.
All students may participate in
mainstage theater productions, the Skybridge student art gallery, or Lang Out
and About courses that send students to arts and media performance events and
venues throughout the city. The Arts
Concentration also offers regular partnerships with institutions such as the
Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan and Tibetan
Art, Judson Dance Theater, 92nd
Street Y, Dance Theater Workshop and LaMama, among others.
The IHAD (I Have A Dream) Program also offers students an opportunity to teach
theater and dance in elementary schools within the metropolitan area. In addition, the arts department hosts an
Artist in Residence each semester (rotating among music, theater, dance, and
visual arts) who conducts workshops designed expressly for Lang students.
The Lang Arts concentration also
highlights interdisciplinary connections among the arts, including the emerging
field of technology and performance, and students are encouraged to explore interests
in these cutting-edge areas as well.
