51-393 Object-Based Histories at the Museum

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Object-Based Histories utilizes as its primary source Extraordinary Ordinary Things, the design collection installation of more than 300 works at Carnegie Museum of Art. In a small group setting students in this elective will consider historic and contemporary designs within the museum galleries. Through close looking and conversation, we will explore designers, makers, and users and their various cultural contexts. This course takes as its premise that if objects in the world are solutions, we can learn to intuit the questions. In so doing, we gain insights into human nature, cultures, and the built environment. Students will expand their knowledge of design histories, materials, and technologies and hone their skills in visual analysis, historical imagination, and critical thinking.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2027, Spring 2026

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