About this Course
Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed to help anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Themes can provide an effective structure for engaging with art. In this course, you will explore four themes that educators at The Museum of Modern Art use frequently in their teaching: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Through videos, slideshows, and a variety of resources, readings, and activities, you will explore the content and context of works of art in MoMA’s collection. Learners will… - Explore works of modern and contemporary art through a variety of accessible and relevant themes. - Hear directly from artists about their ideas and processes. - Gain exposure to a range of digital resources available for continually engaging with works of art.
Globe

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Clock

Approx. 10 hours to complete

Suggested: 5 weeks of study, 2 hours per week
Comment Dots

English

Subtitles: English, Italian
Globe

100% online course

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Clock

Approx. 10 hours to complete

Suggested: 5 weeks of study, 2 hours per week
Comment Dots

English

Subtitles: English, Italian

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section
Clock
21 minutes to complete

Module 1: Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas

Be introduced to some of the overall benefits of studying modern and contemporary art through accessible and relevant themes....
Reading
1 video (Total 1 min), 2 readings
Video1 videos
1.2 Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas1m
Reading2 readings
1.1 Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas10m
1.3 Required Readings & Additional Resources10m

2

Section
Clock
1 hour to complete

Module 2: Places & Spaces

Discover some of the many ways that artists represent place and take inspiration from their environment....
Reading
10 videos (Total 22 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
Video10 videos
2.2 Places & Spaces4m
2.4 Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. 18892m
2.5 Piet Mondrian. Broadway Boogie Woogie. 1942–431m
2.6 Gordon Matta-Clark. Bingo. 19741m
2.7 Andrew Wyeth. Christina's World. 19481m
2.8 Salvador Dalí. The Persistence of Memory. 19311m
2.9 Claude Monet. Water Lilies. 1914–261m
2.10 Rachel Whiteread. Water Tower. 19982m
2.11 Edward Hopper. House By the Railroad. 19251m
2.12 Louis I. Kahn. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Study for National Assembly Building). 1962–832m
Reading3 readings
2.1 Introduction to Places & Spaces10m
2.3 Slideshow [Mobile-Friendly Version]10m
2.13 Required Readings & Additional Resources10m
Quiz1 practice exercises
Quiz20m

3

Section
Clock
1 hour to complete

Module 3: Art & Identity

See how artists create works of art to express, explore, and question identity. ...
Reading
7 videos (Total 17 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
Video7 videos
3.2 Art & Identity4m
3.4 Frida Kahlo. Self-Portait with Cropped Hair. 19402m
3.5 Andy Warhol. Gold Marilyn Monroe. 19621m
3.6 Pablo Picasso. Girl before a Mirror. 19322m
3.7 Marc Chagall. I and the Village. 19112m
3.8 Henri Matisse. The Red Studio. 19112m
3.9 Rineke Dijkstra. Almerisa series. 1994–20081m
Reading3 readings
3.1 Introduction to Art & Identity10m
3.3 Slideshow [Mobile-Friendly Version]10m
3.10 Required Readings & Additional Resources10m
Quiz1 practice exercises
Quiz20m

4

Section
Clock
1 hour to complete

Module 4: Transforming Everyday Objects

Discover how artists use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes art and how it should be made. Explore a variety of artistic and design choices, and the creative acts of inventing and transforming everyday objects....
Reading
9 videos (Total 20 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
Video9 videos
4.2 Transforming Everyday Objects4m
4.4 Marcel Duchamp. Bicycle Wheel. 19132m
4.5 Robert Rauschenberg. Bed. 19551m
4.6 Meret Oppenheim. Object. 19362m
4.7 Décolletage Plastique Design Team. Bic Cristal® Ballpoint pen. 19502m
4.8 Louise Nevelson. Sky Cathedral. 19581m
4.9 Mike Kelley. Untitled. 19902m
4.10 Jessica Rosenkrantz, Jesse Louis-Rosenberg. Kinematics Dress. 20131m
4.11 Doris Salcedo. Atrabilious. 1992–931m
Reading3 readings
4.1 Introduction to Transforming Everyday Objects10m
4.3 Slideshow [Mobile-Friendly Version]10m
4.12 Required Readings & Additional Resources10m
Quiz1 practice exercises
Quiz20m

5

Section
Clock
3 hours to complete

Module 5: Art & Society

Explore works of art created in response to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time. Gain a deeper understanding of history and contemporary society. Be encouraged to think critically about world events and how they are depicted....
Reading
9 videos (Total 26 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
Video9 videos
5.2 Art & Society4m
5.4 Dorothea Lange. Migrant Mother. 19362m
5.5 Felix Gonzales-Torres. Untitled (Perfect Lovers). 19911m
5.6 Jacob Lawrence. Migration Series. 1940–412m
5.7 Martha Rosler. House Beautiful (Bringing the War Home). 1967-727m
5.8 Jasper Johns. Flag. 1954-551m
5.9 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Street, Dresden. 19081m
5.10 Shahzia Sikander. Candied. 20031m
5.11 Faith Ringgold. American People Series #20: Die. 19673m
Reading4 readings
5.1 Introduction to Art & Society10m
5.3 Slideshow [Mobile-Friendly Version]10m
5.12 Required Readings & Additional Resources10m
Funding & Credits10m
Quiz1 practice exercises
Quiz20m
4.6
Direction Signs

42%

started a new career after completing these courses
Briefcase

83%

got a tangible career benefit from this course
Money

12%

got a pay increase or promotion

Top Reviews

By AM•Jan 15th 2018

It has been a very wonderful course. I love the museum as a cultural space and now I love it more for its commitment to online education and giving us the opportunity to learn in different countries.

By CL•Jun 5th 2017

An amazing course, it was very interesting. I learned not only many things that I didn't know, I also learned to understand the ideas of modern art.\n\nIt was a pleasure for me to take this course.

Instructor

Avatar

Lisa Mazzola

Assistant Director, School and Teacher Programs

About The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. With extraordinary exhibitions and the world's finest collection of modern and contemporary art, MoMA is dedicated to the conversation between the past and the present, the established and the experimental. Our mission is helping you understand, enjoy, and use the art of our time....

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.

  • If you pay for this course, you will have access to all of the features and content you need to earn a Course Certificate. If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. Note that the Course Certificate does not represent official academic credit from the partner institution offering the course.

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