Reviewing the Creative Arts

Fall 2011 Mondays Dorothy English Hall 65 10:30am-12:20pm Professor Sharon Fain

Class Objectives
-Understand the basics of arts generally critiqued by news publications -Cultivate a Christian perspective on the arts -Improve argumentation skills -Develop a unique voice and perspective that will help you

Assignments
The assignments in this syllabus may be altered. Biola Arts Reviews You must attend three arts-related events at Biola and do a review on each. This year is the Year of the Arts at Biola, so you should have lots of opportunities for this assignment. They are due on Blackboard AND on your blog once a month on the following dates: -October 10 -November 7 -December 5 Types of reviews you may do include: -Gallery openings (choose one artist per opening and specify if you are reviewing the show or a specific piece) -Torrey play -Any band/singer that comes to Biola to perform NOT as part of a chapel/worship service (i.e. you need to review a performance not someone leading worship) -Music department productions (does not include music at noon) -Screenings of films (can include major motion pictures or student films that are meant to be viewed by non-Biola audiences, as well.) Make sure to include the date of the event in your piece (you can do it as a story dateline if you wish). You should also include CAPTIONED photographs of the event (at least two). You may not review any Biola Youth productions. If you would like to do a review of a performance type that is not listed above, please speak to me for permission. NOTE: Events should take place roughly within the assignment windows

Non-Biola Arts Reviews You must write one separate review for three different arts from the following categories: -Movies (can include DVD releases) -TV (can included DVD releases) -Art - Music -Theatre -Food -Visual Art Each review should be newsworthy (i.e. there is a reason this is being written now). They are due on Blackboard AND on your blog once a month on the following dates: -October 17 -November 14 -December 5 NOTE: Events should take place roughly within the assignment windows Review Guidelines (for all review assignments) Your reviews should reflect what you have learned in class discussions and readings. For some reviews, we may not have covered that particular art in class yet. YOU are still responsible to read those chapters and also seek out other information (online, at the library, etc.) that will help you construct those reviews appropriately. Review length: 450-700 words Images/photos: 1-2. You must include a photo that you took (a screenshot is fine for TV) or was provided to you as an official photo. You may also include a logo or other image if you are not able to access an image (certain cases might include theatre, etc. I will know if you are being lazy on this one). Blogging and Turning In Work All reviews are to be turned in via your blog AND on blackboard. You must include a link to your review AND the review copy itself in the blackboard file. This is to prevent you from altering the post past the deadline. Final Proposal DUE: 11/7 Proposal of final, sample review and a critique of three reviews by a reviewer.

Final DUE: 12/12 on Blackboard and blog by noon The final is an example of what your column would be like if you were an arts reviewer. You will submit the following: -Three reviews of the same art. Reviews should conform to the review guidelines above along with specific rules for each art below. These cannot be reviews you have already submitted for class, the Chimes or any other edited publication. -A one-page description of your column and your perspective Popular and Classical Music: At least one of your reviews must be a live performance. You may not do worship. TV: You may not do more than one DVD release. Film: You may not do more than one DVD release. Theatre: All shows must be live (not recorded on DVD/TV). Community theatre and revivals are fine. Food: At least one of these has to include fine dining. You may not review chains (if there are more than three, its a chain). Visual Art: You may not do more than one artist feature. NOTE: What you review should have had news value during this semester. Course Component Summary Attendance (including field trips) Assignments Pop Quizzes Final Project Proposal Final TOTAL 10% 35% 10% 15% 30% 100%

Field Trips
Throughout the class there will be a variety for field trips. You will also need to explore the arts on your own for your final. Below is a list of art experiences that are college budget friendly.
Free/Cheap Art Experiences Long Beach Cinematheque: http://lbcinema.org MOCA: Free Thursday Evenings (5-8pm) http://www.moca.org/museum/moca_grandave.php Getty (music): Saturdays Off the 405 http://www.getty.edu/museum/programs/performances/saturdays_405.html

LACMA: Free most evenings (5-8pm) Fingerprints Music: http://www.fingerprintsmusic.com/ Paley Center for Media: Free Wednesday-Sunday http://www.paleycenter.org/visit-visitla REDCAT: Free gallery, theatre and music events vary www.redcat.org Experience LA Calendar: You can search for free events www.experiencela.com/calendar Goldstar: You can search for comp tickets www.goldstar.com

Course Policies
Attendance Policy Attendance is 10% of your grade, however, four or more absences will result in an F for the class. Class Participation Including in your attendance grade is participation, so being attentive and interacting during class discussions will weigh heavily on decisions for leniency with extra credit and other situations that may arise. If you are texting, playing on the computer, inappropriately chatting with classmates or are in any other way a distraction, you will be asked to leave the class for the day, given a zero for attendance and will not be able to make up any inclass assignments. Emergency Situations If you have extenuating circumstances, please speak with me as soon as you are aware of them and we can work out how to best make up work. If you make the effort, I will be more inclined to do the same. Plagiarism/Ethics Any work that is not yours that you submit as your own is considered plagiarism. Any work that you have done for another class and use for this class is considered self-plagiarism. If you are caught doing either, you will receive an automatic F in the class. It is a serious professional and academic offense. Plagiarism includes: -Unattributed quotes -Unattributed information that is not general knowledge (For instance, I can say the sky is blue and do not need to cite where this information came form. However, if I were to say that the sky is blue because of Rayleigh scattering, this more specific information should be cited) -Replicating anothers work and using it as your own When in doubt, attribute the information to a source. All work must be yours alone and the information in your assignments must be true. You may NOT submit a piece that you have published in the Chimes. You may submit the

articles to the Chimes after you have turned in the article for class. Extra Credit You should not expect to make up a poor grade with extra credit. Extra credit is not typically given in this class, but may appear on quizzes or other assignments now and then.

Class Schedule
8/29- First Class Assignment: Read and respond to Abolition of Man 1st section, Personal Bio 9/5- NO CLASS Labor Day Holiday 9/12- Making Arguments About Beauty Guest Lecture: Michael Garten, Torrey Academy Logic Instructor DUE: Abolition of Man Response Paper, Personal Bio 9/19- Non Artists Reviewing the Arts DUE: Abolition of Man Application- Any art of your choice, Reviewing the Arts Chaps. 1-3 and Chap. 10, Perceiving the Arts Chap.1 9/26- Theatre Guest Lecture: Sue Berkompas, Theatre Arts Vanguard University DUE: Perceiving the Arts Chap. 7, Reviewing the Arts Chap.7, What makes art newsworthy, Blog Link/ Set Up (please email me your blog link by class that day) 10/3- TV and Film Guest Lecture: Amanda Meyncke, Media Arts alumna and TV/Film reviewer DUE: Perceiving the Arts Chap. 8, 10/10- Visual Art Guest Lecture: Barry Krammes, Biola Art DUE: First Biola Art review, TV Pilot Review, Perceiving the Arts Chaps. 2-3, Reviewing the Arts Chaps. 4-5 10/17- Food Guest Lecture: Brad Martin, Executive Chef California Baptist University *We will meet in the banquet room and bring in our meals from the caf. You are responsible to purchase this meal. DUE: First Non-Biola Art Review 10/24- Popular Music, Developing a Voice

Guest Lecture: Ben Wener, OC Register Music Reporter DUE: Reviewing the Arts Chap. 6, Perceiving the Arts Chap. 5 10/31- Classical Music Guest Lecture: Barry Leisch, Biola Music DUE: Popular Music Review 11/7- Field Trip: Theatre Review DUE: Second Biola Art Review, Final Proposal 11/14- We will not meet because of the field trip on Thursday 11/17 DUE: Second Non-Biola Art Review (turn in even though we do not meet) 11/17 (Thurs.) @ 3pm (NOTE DATE AND TIME CHANGE)- Field Trip: Long Beach Museum of Art 11/21- Field Trip: LACMA DUE: Long Beach Museum of Art Review 11/28- Field Trip: Film Review 12/ 5- Field Trip: Restaurant Review DUE: Third Biola Art Review, LACMA or Film Review 12/12- Finals Week DUE: FINAL, Third Non-Biola Art Review