Assignment

Thesis Paragraph This section should introduce and explain the topic you’ve chosen to research. In it you will need to provide me with a rough sense of what your thesis statement is going to be. A thesis statement is one sentence that sums up what your essay will discuss or argue. Don’t worry if you’re not sure that your thesis is exactly what you want it to be; you will likely refine it as you conduct your research and assemble your final project. You will also need to describe the creative medium you will be making use of to present your work (video, webzine, graphic novella, illustrated essay), and how you envision the layout of your project in this medium. Remember: the more information you give me in your outline, the more I can assist with your research and writing.

Outline Try to picture this project as a sort of community based art work. As we discovered in this week’s material, community based art work begins with a purpose in mind. Begin by asking yourself the following questions:

● What is the purpose of my project? ● How will I present it?

As your work is a research project, you should have some very specific object in mind: perhaps you mean to document an under-represented or marginalized demographic; perhaps you wish to share the history of a certain labour artwork, movement, artists union, or community based art or cultural enrichment program. Your thesis should talk about what and how you are going to talk about your subject. Once you know these things, you will be prepared to talk about the details your project will address.

In considering how you present your work try to answer some of the following questions:

● When and where did the movement, program, or work I am researching take place? ● Who was involved? Why? What was the purpose of the movement, work, or

program? Who was the artist or artists involved? How were they remunerated? ● If you have chosen to work on an artist’s union: Why was the union formed? Who

was involved in its formation? What work has the union done for its representatives? ● If you have chosen an artwork to focus on: what sort of work is it; i.e a sculpture, a

play, a blog, and installation? What does the medium used (paint, music, words on a page) say about the subject matter? For instance, a mural on a community wall makes sense as a medium, as the wall allows the community to share in the work?

● What medium or media will you use to present you research; i.e. graphic design, video, and illustrated essay? Does the medium you have chosen relate to the subject you will be researching and presenting?

● With your partner, please come up with a minimum of ​two​ questions that your project will answer. These questions will likely come from your preliminary research. The stronger your questions are here, and the better organized your outline, the more successful your final report will be.