Looking 101 - Summary Report

GOALS

LOOKING 101

Fall 2022 | Katz Gallery

PLANNING

• 6-month planning period (April–September)

• Focus on first-year curriculum at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

• Establish connections with Writing Program in particular

• Goal to increase number of curricular visitors (broaden reach rather than work with a small number of courses)

• Contacted 37 faculty members based on course descriptions available

• Worked with eight faculty members (who replied early) to select objects

• Also considered OBON selection and programming related to How the Word Is Passed

Installation & furniture

• 10 works installed through the Fall term

• Existing stock frames

• Existing table and three chairs in the middle of the space installed for notetaking and extended looking

• Existing bank of folding stools available outside the entrance to the gallery

Graphic design

• Minimal vinyl

Graphic design

• Section introduction text panel with Looking 101 guide

• Contextual information on each object available in hard copy in a spiral-bound booklet in vinyl holder and through QR codes that link to pages hosted on our website (web content created by Communications; same content)

Graphic design

• No traditional ID or chat labels; numbered QR codes linked to webpages with contextual information (also available in hard copy in the gallery)

• Existing shelf for additional materials:

• Hand-held looking guide cards with space for sharing comments and and feedback on works on view (designed by Communications)

• Existing acrylic holders for hand-held looking guides

• Existing acrylic pencil holder and pencils

• Existing postbox for submitting notes and feedback

There are many ways to interpret a work of art. This four-step guide is designed to help viewers observe carefully and think critically. You can begin by looking around and selecting an artwork you are interested in.

1. LOOK & DESCRIBE

What do you see?

Pause in front of a work of art and spend time looking carefully at it. List and describe everything you can see Look again

What materials and techniques were used to make this work?

What forms and/or figures do you see?

What can you say about the colors? Light? Space? Perspective? What did you notice when you looked again?

2. ANALYZE

What is going on?

Build an initial analysis of the artwork based on your observations and personal response

What seems to be the focus?

Do you recognize the subject matter?

How does the work make you feel?

How might your response be informed by your personal experience or background?

3. RESEARCH

What information is available about the artwork or the artist?

You can learn more about the artworks in this gallery by reading the brochure or scanning the QR code next to each work of art

How does this information reinforce or change what you observed by looking carefully?

Is there anything in this information that you did not see or think about previously?

4. INTERPRET

What does it mean?

This final step brings together the observations you made by looking closely your preliminary analysis and the additional information you gathered through research to consider what a work of art might mean.

Space use

• Katz Gallery remained open to the public during opening hours (Wed-Sun)

• NU classes and group visits scheduled to use the space Mon-Fri 9:00-5:00pm (similar to other galleries & EMSC)

• Sign on door when class in session

Curricular impact

• 16 Northwestern classes

• representing 8 departments:

o African American Studies

o Art History

o Biological Sciences (2)

o English (6 – 5 Writing Program)

o Global Health Studies (2)

o History

o Journalism (2)

o Linguistics

• 9 of these classes were WCAS College Seminars

• 4 of these classes also included visit to the EMSC

• Total of 367 curricular and other NU visitors

NU group visits to EMSC | Fall ter

• 12 Northwestern classes representing

o African American Studies (2)

o Art History (2)

o English (4 - all Writing Program)

o Global Health Studies

o Total of 259 NU visitors

Year-to-Year Comparison

• 173% increase in curricular collection use visitors from Fall 2021

• 280% increase in curricular collection use visitors from Fall 2019 (last pre-pandemic, pre-WSWSWC year)

Northwestern collection use | Fall term (galleries and EMSC combined)

• Unique visitors (visits with regularly scheduled classes in EMSC 2016, 2017, and 2019 removed)

Public programs

“I was really astounded and pleasantly surprised by the student responses. Unlike last year, these students' picks of work were all over the place, and didn't all gravitate to one piece more than others. Additionally, these students completed exploded all expectations I had on what pieces each would pick. My expectations were based on how much I know each students' personalities and interests. It appears to me that these students used this activity as an opportunity to really get out of their comfort zones and expand their understanding. I could not be happier.”

- Marcelo Vinces Weinberg College Adviser Assistant Professor of Instruction, Molecular Biosciences

FEEDBACK FROM FACULTY (email)

“I really enjoyed the visit as well and I see a lot of ways it relates in both content and methods to what we do in all my classes. If you offer this again, I'd love to repeat an activity like this next year or even in my Winter Quarter seminar.”

- Lisa M. Del Torto Associate Professor of Instruction

The Bobbie and Stanton Cook Family Writing Program

FEEDBACK FROM FACULTY (anonymous survey)

Q: What aspect of the visit was most valuable and/or useful for your class?

“The opportunity for students to be in a low-stakes/high-impact environment thinking with one another.”

“They loved that there were no interpretive signs so that they had to do all the analysis themselves. They felt empowered.”

“Showcasing student resources and opportunities at the Block”

“Essi led the class through a helpful exercise in how to notice and read a complicated photograph. Very good at getting the students to speculate and hypothesize.”

FEEDBACK FROM FACULTY (anonymous survey)

Q: What aspect of the visit was most valuable and/or useful for your class?

“One connection (of many) they noted between the session and our class was the way you encouraged them to separate their observations from their interpretations. This is something they're trying to do right now with their primary research for their final papers.

The students were also pleasantly surprised that they were able to observe and interpret with some depth even without the written description that they're used to seeing next to a piece.”

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Visitor comment highlights

Leonard Suryajaya

Perennial Blossom, 2022

Laura Letinsky

Questions and takeaways

• What were your observations and experiences of this pilot?

• What are your suggestions for Winter 2024?

o What are the opportunities?

o What would we do differently?

Omar Victor Diop

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, 2014

Now (Slave Plantation, St. John, Virgin Islands), 09-01, 1995

Omar Victor Diop

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, 2014

Jacob Lawrence

The March 1995

Alan Cohen

Tonika Lewis Johnson

6720 South Ashland & 6720 North Ashland, Chicago from the series Folded Map™ Project 2017