Art 90-10; CRN 6341
2 Credits
R 13:10-16:00
Professor Ricardo Viera
Museums in the broad sense are institutions which hold their possessions in
trust for humankind and for the future welfare of the (human) race. They
are actually a variety of diverse and complex organizations, each with its own
mission. Museums include (from A to Z): art centers, art museums,
aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, childrenŐs museums, general museums,
history and historical sites, natural history museums, nature centers,
planetariums, sculpture parks & gardens, science & technology centers,
specialized museums, uncommon & unheralded museums, visionary/outsider
museums, and zoological parks. This seminar will explore the purposes and
functions of all kinds of museums. In addition to classroom study and
discussion, the class will take half a dozen field trips to museums in the
Lehigh Valley.
Professor Ricardo Viera teaches courses in visual communication, curatorship
and museum studies. He is the director/curator of the Lehigh University Art
Galleries/Museum Operation, founding member of the Association of College and
University Museums and Galleries (ACUMG), and member of the Mid-Atlantic
Association of Museums and the Committee on Museum Professional Training
(COMPT).