Department of English

At our loneliest and most vulnerable, the arts can provide a lens to intimately explore the work of caring for the human condition. Encounters with an artwork—much like our encounters with another—can catalyze connection and act as a wellspring for healing and shared joy to unexpectedly emerge. In this course, offered in collaboration with the Barnes Foundation, Penn Medicine Health Humanities Initiatives, and Public Trust, students will intimately engage with foundational works of modern and contemporary art to explore how art can foster a mutuality of healing and compassion for one another and ourselves. Each week, students will be invited to reflect on the way in which arts institutions can better support those who suffer, as well as the role of the arts and humanities in helping patient and caregiving communities heal by externalizing inner grief and private suffering. The course will meet weekly at the Barnes Foundation, at Penn Medicine, and in a variety of arts settings on Penn's campus, where students will directly engage with a variety of artists, healing practices, and museum professionals.