This course focuses on the ways that race and gender inform art. ARTISTS: Indigenous and diaspora artists use their work to discuss important issues of culture and history. Many consider the ways in which colonialism has affected their people and use their work to make strong statements of survival and celebration. FORMS: We look at types of art – textiles, pottery, body adornment, photography, and film – through the eyes of different cultural groups. These include Māori, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders, Pacific peoples, Native American and Canadian, Central American as well as African-American. Each has their own particular perspective on their history and the ways in which their art has kept alive traditions and stories. THEORIES: The types of art which we examine are often not included in mainstream Art History courses except on the margins. Pottery and Quilting, for instance, is not often considered for anything more than its aesthetic (its beauty) yet the stories that revolve around the making of each piece talk about the cultural beliefs of the maker and the ways in which innovation is an essential part of making art. The social, political and cultural societies in which and for whom they are produced will also be discussed, as well as links between these art forms.