this is kind of an announcement, so i hope it's OK with everyone, as it
is an education resource based on an exhibition and thought some folks
here may either find it useful, or have some useful feedback about
creating educational materials based on exhibitions, especially related
to new media and or science-art connections.
best,
ryan
http://www.yougenics.net/home.php?page=education
December 30, 2005
An education resource packet for high school teachers, based on the
exhibition YOUgenics 3.0 at the SAIC's Betty Rymer Gallery, is now
freely available as a PDF from the YOUgenics website.
More information about the resource is below.
The following resource package was designed as an educational project
to accompany the presentation of the exhibition YOUgenics in the School
of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Betty Rymer Gallery. Prepared by Amy
Gerber and Kate Loague, candidates in our Master of Arts in Art
Education program, this packet is part of the gallery’s educational
initiative and includes various resource documents, select glossary and
timeline, as well as suggested lesson plans. Information is based on
various sources (cited within the packet). Much appreciation is
extended to curator Ryan Griffis, the exhibiting artists, and the
faculty and staff at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for
their insight and guidance.
This packet is meant to respond, primarily, to the artworks and ideas
presented within the exhibition as a means of furthering the cultural
dialogue in which these artists engage. It is a complex challenge, and
the packet emerges not as a “definitive statement” but as a “spring
board” or “starting point” for further educational inquiry. A list of
recommended websites is included to encourage additional research and
to reflect the opportunity for in-depth critical assessment from
various perspectives.
This packet is intended as a working educational project that examines
one of many pedagogical approaches to such thematic material. The
following documents are offered to other educators in the spirit of
mutual inquiry. It is hoped that fellow educators freely adapt the
lesson plans to suit their individual needs.
We invite you and your students to experience and explore these complex
and thought-provoking works of art.
With best regards,
Trevor Martin
Managing Director, Betty Rymer Gallery
Associate Director, Exhibitions and Events
Who decides which people, animals or plants are valuable in society and
which are not? Do genes determine this value? Do we have the right to
control genes? If so, who will be the controller?
YOUgenics 3.0 is an exhibit of contemporary artworks that asks visitors
to consider the ethical and social issues surrounding genetic research
and practice. Many of the artists represent perspectives missing from
the mainstream. From genetically modified foods to stem-cell research,
the artworks are intended to inspire dialogue and debate about how the
field of genetics affects our lives.
The title YOUgenics references the American eugenics movement of the
early 20th century. Eugenicists argued that so-called human traits,
such as intelligence and “criminality,” were determined biologically
and transferred from parent to child. Eugenicists aspired to “improve”
the human race through social engineering: encouraging reproduction
among the genetically “superior” and preventing reproduction among
those designated inferior or “unfit.” These categories were subjective
and reflected the social prejudices of those in power. Although it has
long been discredited as science, many of the participating YOUgenics
3.0 artists maintain that the cultural sensibility of eugenics lives
on.
This guide was created for high school teachers. Our goal is to provide
a classroom resource that allows students and teachers to critically
investigate the artwork and issues presented by YOUgenics 3.0. Through
interactive presentations, group discussions and art-making lessons,
this guide challenges users to develop their own interpretations. In
this way, we believe that students may enter into the discussion of
genetic technologies as critical and active participants.
- Amy Gerber and Kate Loague
YOUgenics: art interrogating genetic technologies
http://www.yougenics.net
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