This course will focus on museums, art galleries and auction houses in the city of New York. These institutions are repositories of material culture that promote public education and personal growth. Students will learn about the practices these institutions use to collect, protect, preserve and educate. This will be accomplished through the careful examination of objects. This careful looking will be aided by classroom lectures, writing assignments, group discussions, research and class presentations. The course will also involve trips to a variety of New York City art galleries, auction houses, and museums: for example, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Studio Museum of Harlem, The Museum of the Moving Image, and The Brooklyn Historical Society. When possible, this will include behind the scenes tours of museum work areas not usually seen by the general public. Students will be asked to create a virtual exhibition using the blog feature in Blackboard."