The Art of Seeing
Preceptor: Anna Willieme, MFA
Contact: awillieme@artmedinsight.org
Tel: 917-318-2580
Prerequisites: None
Who should enroll in this elective?
Applicable to all medical students
Sites
Online and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Description
Students will engage with, describe and interpret art during The Art of Seeing elective in order to strengthen their visual diagnostic and communication skills. In the context of this elective, participating students will focus on the subjective and interpretive stance inherent in the process of seeing while further developing techniques of visual analysis based on observation.
The Art of Seeing class will take place both online and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art over a two-week period. During the class, students will have the opportunity to discover and examine masterpieces from the world’s great museums which will include a wide range of styles including figurative and abstract works as well as painting, drawing, photography and sculpture.
The course is led by Anne Willieme, Founder and Director of ArtMed inSight which explores connections between art and medicine and specializes in the development and design of educational programs using art to enhance the perceptual, self-awareness and communication skills of medical students, physicians and healthcare professionals.
ArtMed inSight is a pioneer in the art and medicine field and has been designing and leading innovative programs since 2005 for leading medical institutions and world-class museums such as Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and NYU Langone, Columbia University Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, Mount Sinai St Luke’s in NYC among others. Willieme is also a frequent speaker on art as well as art and medicine and lectures across the US and abroad.
Objectives of the Elective
Students will develop and strengthen crucial observational and self-awareness skills. Using art’s formal elements as tools to deepen observation, this class will help participants move beyond blind spots present in visual perception in order to access a deeper seeing.
Working with associations and interpretations elicited from selected works, participants will learn to further a nuanced emotional awareness while examining its impact on observation, engagement and communication skills. Finally, issues of point of view along with bias and ambiguity will be considered and their relevance to diagnosis and patient communication explored.
Key Responsibilities of the Student while on Elective
- Active participation and presence in all course sessions
- Completion of weekly exercises
- Presentation of two final projects at the end of the course
- Provide notice of any absences
Key Responsibilities of the preceptor while you are on Elective
By accepting your enrollment in this introductory elective, the preceptor agreed to:
- Clearly communicate their expectations of you
- Maintain a supportive learning environment
Didactic Program
This class is highly interactive as it combines participant-centered discussions around art with hands-on art, writing, and observational exercises utilized to heighten perceptual skills.
Method of Evaluation
Evaluation will be based on students’ participation during the course and two final projects, which will address course material, and be presented at the end of the elective.
Scheduling Information
The course will take place Monday through Friday for two weeks.
Classes will meet online: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the first week and Thursday and Friday of the second week at from 9AM to 2PM.
Sessions will also meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Thursday and Friday of the first week and Monday, as well as Tuesday and Wednesday of the second from 10AM to 3PM. In addition, daily at home follow-up exercises of circa 1.5 hours will be included along for time set for the completion of the final projects. Further class logistics such as online links and meeting locations at the museum will be communicated to participating students prior to the start of the course.
Months Offered: November and March
Report To: Anna Willieme, awillieme@artmedinsight.org
Students Per Period: 7
Duration: Two weeks