Your assignment is to write the entry about a single work of art in the University Gallery for an imaginary catalogue of the collection. The text of your entry may be no longer than two (2) pages (typed, one-inch margins); longer submissions will not be accepted. Your entry should comprise three basic parts: 1) identification of the work (artist, title, date, size, provenance, etc.) in tabular form (may be single-spaced); 2) brief analysis and description of the work in good English prose (double-spaced); and 3) endnotes, references, and bibliography (on a separate third page, may be single-spaced). For examples of catalogue entries, you should consult the file of entries on reserve for this course in the Library. In some cases you may find that you need to be creative in adapting the format for identifying your particular work, for example if it has no title or is by an anonymous artist.

In writing your entry, imagine that you are working on a real catalogue for the Gallery, on a limited budget, and with a deadline looming. The editor will have little or no time to check your entry for accuracy or presentation, so that it will be published with your name attached essentially as submitted. In other words, it has to be perfect. (Imagine, you are no longer a student; you are new to this job and you want to make a good impression on the Gallery's director.) Your prose description should be well-written, concise, and interesting, since this is your best way to inform an interested visitor about your chosen work of art. Further, it should always include at least some description of specific elements to guide the visitor to look at the work and enrich their viewing. You are strongly advised to refer to Sylvan Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art for this section. If necessary, you may use endnotes in your entry. These should be on a separate page along with a list of published references to the particular work, and a bibliography of general works referring to the artist, period, or whatever.

As you work on this project, consider whether and how you might want to use it as the basis for your longer (eight to ten page) final research paper. You might continue to focus on the single work, broadening your analysis of its meaning, function, or social context. Or you might consider it in relation to other works by the same artist or of the same subject. Perhaps there is another work in the Gallery's collection that would make a nice comparison. One possibility is that you conceptualize and design a small exhibition in which your work will appear: such a paper would present the concept of the show, the rationale for your choice of objects, a description of the installation (display of the works), and a discussion of the didactic material to be placed with it. The possibilities are endless and I would be happy to discuss them with you.

Your assignment is to write the entry about a building on campus for an imaginary catalogue of architecture at the University of Delaware. As in the case of the object entry, the text of your entry may be no longer than two (2) pages (typed, one-inch margins); longer submissions will not be accepted. Your entry should comprise four basic parts: 1) identification of the building (name, architect, date(s), etc.) in tabular form (may be single-spaced); 2) a well-written, brief analysis and description of the building and its history (double-spaced); 3) endnotes, references, and bibliography (on a separate page, may be single-spaced); and 4) essential illustrations (no more than 3).

In researching your building, you will need to consult, among other things, materials in the University Archives, which is located in 002 Pearson Hall (see map at the Archives home page). To do so, you must call (x 2750) and make an appointment with Jennifer Wallace or, if she is not available, Jean Brown, Director of Records Management. You will be given an introduction to using the archives on your first visit. Take a pencil and you may take a laptop computer. Especially if you are working on one of the newer campus buildings, you may need to consult other campus sources, for example the Facilities Maintenance Office (contact Suzanne Morris).

In preparing this entry, keep in mind that you are writing about architecture. Not only should your description be concise and interesting, it should also use architectural terminology correctly. You are strongly advised to refer to Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing About Art, pp. 60-69, for this section. You may also want to consult John Summerson's The Classical Language of Architecture, which has a useful glossary. This and other useful references can be found on reserve.

As you work on this project, consider whether and how you might want to use it as the basis for your longer (eight to ten page) final research paper. You might continue to focus on the individual building, broadening your analysis of its history (including any restoration or preservation work), its function as an academic building, and/or its place within the campus. You might consider it in relation to other works by the same architect or of the same period. Or you might devise a topic involving building types and their design and function: for example, your building might serve as the starting point for an investigation of dormitory, library, academic building, or student center architecture, on this campus or in a broader context, and how it has changed over time to meet changing demands. Another possibility is that you choose a comparable building on a nearby campus and write an in-depth comparative essay. Again, the possibilities are endless, so please consult me soon about formulating a suitable research topic.