Arts Programming for the Anthropocene

Art in Community and Environment by Bill Gilbert and Anicca Cox Arts Programming for the Anthropocene argues for a role for the arts as an engaged, professional practice in contemporary culture, charting the evolution of arts over the previous half century from a primarily solitary practice involved with its own internal dialogue to one actively seeking a larger discourse. The chapters investigate the origin and evolution of five academic field programs on three continents, mapping developments in field pedagogy in the arts over the past twenty years. Drawing upon the collective experience of artists and academicians in the United States, Australia, and Greece operating in a wide range of social and environmental contexts, it makes the case for the necessity of an update to ensure the real world relevance and applicability of tertiary arts education. Based on thirty years of experimentation in arts pedagogy, including the creation of the Land Arts of the American West (LAAW) program and Art and Ecology discipline at the University of New Mexico, this book is written for arts practitioners, aspiring artists, art educators, and those interested in how the arts can contribute to strengthening cultural resiliency in the face of rapid environmental change. 1. Introduction 2. A Place to Stand: The Rationale For Field Programming 3. Art In Academia 4. Five Programs 5. Land Arts of the American West: A Case Study 6. Conclusion 7. Bibliography 8. Manual: Nuts and Bolts Of Field Programming Author and ecoartspace member: Bill Gilbert is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Art and Ecology and Lannan Endowed Chair at the University of New Mexico where he founded the interdisciplinary field program entitled Land Arts of the American West. He is, also, co-founder of the Art and Ecology Area in the Department of Art & Art History at UNM. Since moving to New Mexico in 1978, Gilbert has completed place-based projects in sculpture, installation, performance and video formats that have been exhibited internationally.