ARCH478I

The Black Lives Matter Movement, the toppling of confederate statues and the current administration's use of Mt. Rushmore and the Church of St. John's in DC to affirm their narrative underscore how timely this seminar is. This course will delve into place-based literature, design, art, imagery and citizen action to deepen our understanding of the narratives and counter-narratives inscribed in situ through event, artifacts, spatial-relationships, and story. Together we will explore how as citizens and shapers of the built environment knowingly and unknowingly elevate power and injustice and negotiate often-conflicting narratives of ownership, event, culture and place. Seminar research and artifacts will contribute material to the Kibel Exhibit, expanding upon existing content and structured around individual students' disciplines, questions, talents, and areas of interest.