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I teach the Cultural Foundations sequence in which we study human expression and inquiry through the visual and verbal arts. Humans have made complex and beautiful forms since the beginnings of time, like the pyramids of Giza, the cave paintings at Chauvet, and the stirring, soul searching words of the Epic of Gilgamesh. In my classes, we begin from the assumption that art is a mode of thinking...thinking about the world and the human condition. But it is also about imagining, transforming, and creating something meaningful, something new. It is exciting to study the arts in New York, as students can view so many excellent examples in reality, in the rich collections and museums across the city. When we study Shakespeare, we can watch the play performed as well at the Lincoln Center or the Harvey Theater, Brooklyn. But studying the arts is not just a matter of cultural enrichment. The study of art is also the study of ourselves, who we have been, who we are, and who we can be.
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