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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "AS 375"
COURSE NAME: "Contemporary Art and Design Practice (onsite)"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2026
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Ra Di Martino
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
W12:30 PM 3:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisites: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course aims to provide an overview of contemporary art and design in Rome through direct onsite experience in studios, galleries, and institutions, as well as dialogs with collectors, curators, critics, museum directors, and international academies. Students will interact with, explore, and analyze the practices of active practitioners within the Roman milieu. Students will consider their own practice as it is situated in the city and as it relates to art and design stakeholders at large. The spheres of public and private art and design spaces will be analyzed in terms of their cultural, social, and political functions to aid students in integrating this knowledge into positioning their personal creative output. The course invites students to consider through real world experience how various institutions and actors play different roles in influencing the context of art and design production, both locally and on the global scale.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course is structured around several key components to provide a comprehensive and immersive learning experience. Students will engage in intensive, hands-on studio projects tailored to their individual research interests, challenging them to explore and push their creative boundaries and in several studio visits to Rome based artists and exhibitions in both museums and galleries.
This will allow students to engage directly with contemporary artworks and exhibitions, fostering critical analysis and appreciation.
A series of project prompts will stimulate creative thinking and encourage students to tackle diverse artistic challenges. Structured critique sessions will generate constructive feedback,stimulating group learning and collaborative improvement. Additionally, one-on-one sessions with the professor will address individual progress, challenges, and strategies for further development.
Students will need basic art supplies, including a sketchbook, drawing materials, and a digital camera or smartphone for documenting work. Access to relevant software and digital tools, as required by individual projects, will also be necessary. Costs for mandatory study visits to museums will be estimated and communicated at the start of the course(or fee including the entrance to the museum).
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Develop and execute independent research and artistic projects in Art and critically engage with contemporary debates and issues.
Produce original artworks that reflect a high levelof personal and academic inquiryas well as communicate their artistic process and outcomes through presentations and critiques.
Demonstrate the ability to engage with a variety of techniques and materialsin order toexplore creativity and visual expression andadvanced technical and conceptual skills in their chosen mediums.
Demonstrate technical competence in the knowledge of techniques and material and attest an ability to coordinate them creatively and sensitively.
Develop and execute independent research projects iand demonstrate an ability to analyze and evaluate both the individual creative process and, importantly, the work and practice of other professional artists of the field.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
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| visits | Active engagement in class activities, discussions, critiques, and visits tp artists studios, museums, galleries | 40 |
| projects | A collection of completed studio projects demonstrating technical proficiency and conceptual development. | 30 |
| final project | completion of a final ambitious project | 30 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality shows excellent mastery of the course content along with exceptional levels of technical skill, artistic awareness, originality, resourcefulness, commitment, quantity of work and improvement. There has been excellent collaboration and leadership in group projects, and there have been no attendance problems.
BA highly competent level of performance with work that directly addresses the content of the course, with a good quantity of work produced.
CAn acceptable level of performance: the work shows awareness of the course content, but is very limited in quantity, quality, commitment and skill.
DThe student lacks a coherent grasp of the course material and has failed to produce much work.
FNegligent in attendance, academic honesty, engagement with the course content, or production of work.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
The course aims to provide an overview of contemporary art and design in Rome through direct onsite experience in studios, galleries, and institutions, as well as dialogs with collectors, curators, critics, museum directors, and international academies. Students will interact with, explore, and analyze the practices of active practitioners within the Roman milieu. Students will consider their own practice as it is situated in the city and as it relates to art and design stakeholders at large. The spheres of public and private art and design spaces will be analyzed in terms of their cultural, social, and political functions to aid students in integrating this knowledge into positioning their personal creative output. The course invites students to consider through real world experience how various institutions and actors play different roles in influencing the context of art and design production, both locally and on the global scale.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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1.Introduction to course objectives and requirements. Presentation of the portfolios of student works
2. Field Trip to Maxxi. Exhibitions of Rosa Barba, New Collection exhibition curated by Alex Da Corte.
3. Brainstorming and ideas for 1st personal project
4. Field Trip Visits to artist studios and galleries in San Lorenzo part I
5. Field Trip Visits to selected galleries, centre and Trastevere (Ermes Ermes, Valentina Bonomo, T293, Sant’andrea De scaphis)
6. Work on 1st personal project on campus
7. Midterm exam with reviews of 1st project.
8. Field trip. Artist Luigi Ontani’s studio (centre)
9. Field Trip. Post Ex, artists studios in Centocelle area. Visit to Josè Angelino, Lulù Nuti’s studio and others TBC.
10. Field Trip Artist Isabella Ducrot’s studio (centre)
11. Field Trip Visits to artist studios and galleries in San Lorenzo part II
12. Guest studio visit and critiques with artist Elisabetta Benassi in campus.
13. Editing of final project // preparation for the open studios Thursday April 23rd
14. Final critiques
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