Field Trip Assignment

You will need to choose from three different categories (below) for each event—i.e. architecture, museums, visual art, dance, writing, etc. In other words, you can’t do all museum visits or all theatre performances. I want you to mix it up!

The purpose of this assignment is to get you out in the world and having an art experience, but you can do the field trips virtually if you choose. If you do virtual events, you must still choose events from different artistic fields.

The events or activities need to be related to the meaning of art and the creative process, which is the topic of the class. In choosing events at museums or bookstores, please keep that in mind. Events that will not count include DJ nights, open mic nights, children story hours, cooking demonstrations, painting classes, and such. If you have a question about whether an event will count for this assignment, talk to me ahead of time.

Planning Your Field Trips
Finally, most importantly, start planning now! I have spaced the due dates for these assignments out so that one is due each month this semester. You should start planning where and when you want to complete these so you can plan ahead for free or discount days and see the exhibits or performances you’re most excited about. I also recommend that you get together with others from the class and attend together if you can. You can coordinate with each other on Pronto. It’s more fun to go as a group and then you can process what you’ve seen or experienced in real time. Also, it’s totally fine to bring family or friends with you for the field trips.

I may add ideas to the list as the semester goes on so check back here.

Reflection Paper
After each field trip, you’ll write a reflection essay. Your reflection paper should be 3 pages, double-spaced. It should address some of the following questions in a sustained and thoughtful way. You must answer all of the REQUIRED questions but you can choose 2-3 to answer from the OPTIONAL list.

REQUIRED

Give the date, time and venue of the event, as well as a brief description of what you did or saw.
What connections do you see between this conversation about the art, performance or artwork and other texts we’re viewing, reading, seeing and discussing in the class? Be specific and reference particular examples from class material.

OPTIONAL: Choose 2-3 to answer.

What memorable or important quotes from the conversation or event did you take away? Why did they stand out to you?

What were the most memorable artworks you saw and why?

What did you learn about the artists, performers or artwork that interested you or surprised you?

Were ideas about creativity or the creative process presented at this event and if so, what stood out? What did they leave you thinking about?

Did this event inspire you creatively or give you ideas for your own art work, job, family life or other interests? If so, how?

How do ideas presented in this event intersect with or reflect the times we’re living in? You might consider recent elections, the Black Lives Matter uprisings, climate change, the pandemic, abortion access, mass shootings or any other important issue in our life together. Did you learn anything about how art or creativity is important in light of all that’s happening in our world?

Trip Ideas

Galleries & Museums
*All have different days and hours. Be sure to plan your visit accordingly.

California African American MuseumLinks to an external site. near USC
Museum of Latin American ArtLinks to an external site. in Long Beach
BROAD MuseumLinks to an external site. (free but tickets must be reserved in advance)
LACMALinks to an external site. (LA County residents free after 3 pm)
Museum of Contemporary ArtLinks to an external site. (General Admission is always free)
UCLA Hammer MuseumLinks to an external site. (free)
Japanese American National MuseumLinks to an external site. in Little Tokyo
At Glendale Community College: GCC Art GalleryLinks to an external site.
Avenue 50 StudioLinks to an external site. in Highland Park
Hauser & Wirth GalleryLinks to an external site. in downtown Los Angeles (free entry)
Art galleries in Chinatown—look online for ideas
Armory Center for the ArtsLinks to an external site. in Pasadena
Norton Simon MuseumLinks to an external site. in Pasadena (free admission for students)
Huntington Gardens & Library Art MuseumLinks to an external site. (first Thursday of the month is free—tickets must be reserved ahead, otherwise it’s $24 for entry)
Getty VillaLinks to an external site.
The GettyLinks to an external site. (free entrance but you pay for parking)

Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock HouseLinks to an external site. in Hollywood (free admission)
Neutra HouseLinks to an external site. in Silverlake

Performance

RedCatLinks to an external site. (performances run $15-20 for students with an ID)
Noise Within TheatreLinks to an external site. (student tickets are $18)
Center Theatre GroupLinks to an external site. (Free performances for people under age 25)
Talks and PerformancesLinks to an external site. at the BROAD Museum (free)
Watch a performance of a play on GCC’s Digital TheatreLinks to an external site. database (you’ll be asked for your GCC student ID and password)

Literary Readings

Skylight BooksLinks to an external site. in Los Feliz
Vromans BookstoreLinks to an external site. in Pasadena
LA Writers Reading Series at GCC—more details soon

Lectures & Conversations
Otis School of Design Monthly Artist LecturesLinks to an external site. (free and open to the public—schedule for fall is TBA)
Talks at the California African American MuseumLinks to an external site. (check for more fall events)
Talks and PerformancesLinks to an external site. at the BROAD Museum (free)
Interviews with playwrights on GCC Library’s Digital TheatreLinks to an external site. database

Virtual Lectures & Readings
Harvard’s Woodberry Poetry Room ReadingLinks to an external site. Series (both future live events and recordings of past events)
“
How to Be an Art MonsterLinks to an external site.
” Lecture from Bennington College MFA program

Lecture archive at CalArtsLinks to an external site.

2022 Blaney Lecture with Paisley RekdalLinks to an external site.
(poetry)

2020 Blaney Lecture with Adrian MatejkaLinks to an external site.
(poetry)

2015 Blaney Lecture with Joy HarjoLinks to an external site.
(poetry)

Symposium: Pablo León de la Barra and Artists on the TropicsLinks to an external site.
(visual arts)

NY Public Library archive of past virtual eventsLinks to an external site. (just be sure to choose something related to art-making and creativity)

Anne Carson, Hilton Als & Sam Anderson: Herakles in NYLinks to an external site.

Writing Memoir: Isaac Fitzgerald, Ashley C. Ford, Leslie Jamison and Chloe Cooper JonesLinks to an external site.

Tate Talks

Resilient ResponsesLinks to an external site.
(dance)

Last Completed Projects