Course Descriptions

FOUNDATION COURSES

Research in Interdisciplinary Arts: An Introduction to the I.A. Program (EIA 526; 3 credits)
This course orients the incoming student to the core ideas, history and philosophy of Interdisciplinarity in the Arts. It also introduces students to the various research designs and methodologies relevant to the arts such as historiography, arts-based research, content analysis, theory and criticism, and relevant elements of qualitative and quantitative methods. Students examine the origins, contexts, masterpieces, and creators of exemplary artworks that combine various art forms. From Gesamtkunstwerk to contemporary interactive multi-media video and musical theatre, elements of form, structure and composition are explored as students select a focus of study and prepare a research paper.

Interdisciplinary Arts in Society, Community, and School (EIA 501; 3 credits)
This survey course outlines the emerging field of Community Arts and defines vital roles artists can play in structuring, rebuilding and maintaining communities within cultural, social and educational contexts. This course will develop the awareness and ability to nurture relationships among the artist, arts organizations, educational organizations, the business and commercial sector and audiences, including the ability to broaden participation in the arts, initiate arts education programs and forge links among various communities.

Applied Aesthetics in the Arts – Curriculum and Instruction (EIA 506; 3 credits)
Applied Aesthetics examines the philosophical underpinnings of Art. Students explore the aesthetic, intellectual, perceptual, ethical, analytical, visionary, critical and pragmatic aspects of various arts disciplines and how they can be applied to curriculum design and instruction. Some of the issues addressed are the role of authorial intention, the nature of expression, the nature of realism, the art-as-moral-teacher versus art-for-art’s-sake debate, the nature of beauty, the Mozart Effect, learning styles, multiple intellegences and theories of genres.

Arts and Classroom Management: Infusing Arts into the Classroom & Beyond (EIA 503; 3 credits)
Students will be introduced to the concepts and practices of Collaborative Artmaking and arts infusion into the classroom. Methods and techniques of dramatization, music, dance, and visual art utilized as learning vehicles are investigated and analyzed. The structure of the “classroom” is reexamined as a potential “learning stage” and reevaluated as an arts-friendly environment wherein numerous learning styles are addressed. Some of the issues covered are balancing creative chaos with an atmosphere of orderly systematic learning; grading and evaluation; arts as a delivery system for teaching math, science, history and social studies; and the role of the arts in teaching character and emotional intelligence. Arts Management beyond the classroom is also explored.

Studies in Creative Process & Conceptual Arts: A Quantum Vision (EIA 511; 3 credits)
This course examines the nature of the creative arts in contrast to the interpretive arts. It encourages students to embark upon a personal exploration of the creative process as they conceptualize new works and new forms of expression and artistic achievement. Students investigate techniques of harnessing and applying creative thinking as a method of problem solving. Key principals of quantum physics are applied to art and the creative process. Parallels are drawn between creativity and the quantum realm – the invisible world wherein the visible is designed and assembled. In this environment of pure potentiality, students are encouraged to challenge existing perceptions, interpretations, and expectations in an effort to cultivate imagination and flexibility. This course offers insight into students’ roles as artists and educators who will be creating a new global culture.

SPECIALIZATION COURSES

Arts and Expressive Therapies – A Survey (EIA 512; 3 credits)
The area of Expressive Therapies explores the arts as a vehicle for therapeutic artistic expression, transformation and healing. With the basic philosophical assumption that art is inherently a psychological activity, this course emphasizes a developing awareness of the healing aspects of the arts in both diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. It examines different art modalities in their practice in a range of clinical, educational and human service settings. Taking a holistic approach to health care and human growth, this course will examine both traditional and progressive methods of Arts and Expressive Therapies.

The Art of Words – Writing for Dramatic Media (EIA 513; 3 credits)
This course is an examination of the fundamentals of dramatic writing; learning to use the tools and techniques of the playwright, screenplay writer, teleplay writer, librettist, or performance artist. Plays, movies, TV shows, operas, ballets, and performance art will be explored and analyzed from the point of view of theme, plot, dialogue, character development, structure, tone, genre, and scenario. Each student will create a short original script. Building on the strengths of the specific arts discipline in which the student received undergraduate training, he or she will be guided through a linguistic pre-visualization of the project before scripting begins.

Business Applications of Interdisciplinary Arts and Social Entrepreneurism (EIA 514; 3 credits)
Applying Art to the Business World explores various methods of “taking art to work” with the objective of fostering productive collaborations, “out-of-the-box” problem-solving, enhanced ergonomic work environments, and higher morale and motivation in the corporate or business workplace. Students are introduced to concepts and practices of arts business and management. The roles and duties of producers, general managers, agents, unions, entertainment attorneys, and production officials are examined. The concept of “social entrepreneurism” is introduced as a new approach to business practices in the arts.

Thou Art - Reuniting Culture and Spirit for a Global Society (EIA 515; 3 credits)
This course will explore the concept of art as a verb – the present perfect form of being. The role of the artist in society is examined from the perspective that art is something one is rather than something one does – illuminating the unifying power of creativity. Emphasis is on cultures that have never separated from their spiritual core. This course focuses on ways of building bridges between Western Culture and its spiritual foundations through personal artistic expression

Musical Theatre Studies (EIA 537; 3 credits)
This course will illustrate Musical Theatre as being the prime example of Interdisciplinary Art in that it, by definition, encompasses the combined disciplines of music, theatre, dance and design. The course will examine the advent of musical theatre in the United States, Great Britain and the movies. The inclusion of such an interdisciplinary art form, utilizing music, drama, visual and dance-based artistic involvement as a vehicle in the Fine Arts, Language Arts and Social Studies classroom for the delivery of curriculum cannot be too strongly advocated. The use of Cooperative Learning techniques, Multiple Intelligences and Alternative Assessment through the creative process provides conceptual frameworks for student growth and development.

Audio and video examples of masterpieces the genre will be used. Readings will be engaged-in and discussed. Group-level projects designed to share like-minded experiences will be continually pursued.Social relevance, global education and multi-ethnic inclusion in the curriculum will be examined through the lens of Interdisciplinary Arts.

Through texts, students will learn the “inside story” regarding the production techniques and rationale behind many of the decisions made by administrative and artistically creative members of the original production teams.Questions of race, class consciousness, political culture and of course, and the ever popular themes of love and hate, will be examined as themes from diverse productions.A final project including lesson plans and a proposal will equal 1/3 of the grade. The project will be designed for a group-based, Multiple Intelligence driven, globally relevant, multi-cultural skit/show or musical performance which will be produced by students.

Moving Art: The Aesthetic of the Motion Picture 1922-1966 (EIA 540; 3 credits)
This course is both a survey and a research course which examines the advent of the film throughout the world as produced between 1922 and 1966.  Students will explore the great strides in character development, plot construction, acting technique, scriptwriting, editing, use of light and shadow, and camera and lens technique, that, through the use of the artistic vision of numerous creators, have set our social stage during these developmental years.  They will examine the commonly accepted definitions of beauty, art, value, mores, motivation, and behavior which have been influenced by the films of this era and are just a few of the attributes used to definite humanity.  The study of film as an interdisciplinary art form, utilizing music, acting, directing, design, editing, dance, dramatic writing, and visual artistic involvement, will be used as a means of widening the vision of emerging interdisciplinary arts professionals.

Cinematherapy I: Images with a Purpose (EIA 557; 3 credits)
We live in a culture of images. In this course students will be immersed in a process of in-depth examination of the meaning and power of images. Images, in fact, are never neutral; their effect is that of conditioning the observer. It is important, therefore, to carry out a scholarly analysis of what an image actually is. Image based thinking will be considered both in relation to the creative process and to problem solving. We will begin with the philosophical concept of an idea as a mental representation. We will study the symbolism of dreams in order to understand the close relationship between images and the unconscious. The psychoanalytical proposition that a film may be considered the film director’s dream will be closely scrutinized. Students will study Cinematherapy: a new technique for analyzing films and psychological dynamics. The concept of Cinematherapy is rooted in the awareness that the film viewer is conditioned by his or her individual life experience, and this in turn makes the viewer’s perception highly unique. The viewer’s intimate interior world and life experiences condition perception of the film, and result in a highly subjective interpretation. This is due to the fact that the viewer assimilates only certain images and edits out others, all on the basis of unique individual experiences. The study of Cinematherapy will enable the viewer to understand the underlying causes of certain emotions experienced during a film, and will shed light on certain aspects of one’s own personality and on how others view the same situation.

Through in-depth analysis of the image, the student will come to understand and make intelligent use of the power that images have on their audience. This knowledge is useful for anyone working in the world of visual communication such as photographers, art directors, painters, sculptors, and advertising personnel. This course will also prove useful to psychologists, doctors, social workers, teachers and others working with groups or individuals for self-improvement. The study of Cinematherapy contributes to an understanding of specific emotional patterns induced by certain images.

Cinematherapy II: Personal and Social Awareness Through Cinema (EIA 558; 3 credits)
This course focuses on the analysis of mythology through international cinema. The course will expand on topics and concepts presented in Cinematherapy I: Images With A Purpose. Students will examine in depth the differences between Freud and Jung’s psychological perspectives on symbolic dream interpretation, as well as the concept of the collective unconscious and its archetypes which appear in Jungian theory. This will enable students to utilize their comprehension of the symbolic language of dreams in order to conceptualize the personal mythology theory of Dr. Stephen Larsen. Through the analysis of selected films, students will examine six major mythological themes which recur across cultures, demonstrating that cinema functions as society’s modern day mythology as identified by Dr. Joseph Campbell. The goal of this course is to provide students with a broader understanding of similarities between personal and socio-cultural mythology by using cinema as a tool for psychological examination and social comprehension, enabling them to become more effective educators and artists as well as more globally conscious individuals.

Applied Professional Experiences (Capstone Project) (EIA 688 - 692; 6 credits)
This Capstone Project is the culminating event of the IA Program. It is an Interdisciplinary Arts Event conceived, written, created and produced by the student and the production team he or she has assembled. The project must be outlined in writing and approved by the Program Administrator/ Artistic Director and appropriate faculty in order to be scheduled and marketed for public performance. It may take the form of an artistic work or lecture demonstration but must encompass some aspect of performance or presentation by the Masters Candidate. Students will be assisted by faculty and peers as they develop their Capstone Projects. The project must demonstrate excellence in the Interdisciplinary Arts and be accompanied by a contextual essay describing the history, evolution, intention, purpose and methods by which the student created the Capstone Event.