Our class exhibition designed on COVE focuses on the history of children’s literature through canonical texts. Students will select one work from a list of chronologically arranged books, choosing 4-5 images for a virtual display case to illuminate the chosen book’s importance to the history of children’s literature. Students will write an introduction, headers, and captions for their case, complete a reflection on their experiences mounting an online exhibition on COVE, and contribute to an assessment of the exhibit.
To better understand the world of Jane Austen's works, we need to understand the society she is writing in. Even though she does not often describe what her characters are dressed in, when she does bring up fashion, it is often notable in terms of character personality, social status, or plot. Regency fashion is notable in its distinct rejection of the former era of fashion as it had neoclassical influence, simplicity, and natural beauty.
Assemblies, balls, and dancing are central to the plots and themes of many of Jane Austen’s novels. Similarly, these events were central to sociability during the Georgian and Regency Eras, as they provided a socially acceptable setting for men and women to meet and begin forming relationships. Knowledge of these aspects of society help readers to better understand Austen’s writing. This exhibit displays various aspects of balls and dancing during the Regency Era, including assembly rooms, music, dancing styles, dress code, and overall ballroom culture and etiquette to provide historical context for the works of Jane Austen.
A gallery exhibit showcasing the military, their role, and their impact on the society and world of Jane Austen and her novels. As Jane Austen spent a majority of her life during wartime and had brothers in the military, she was very familiar with how her militia behaved off of the battlefield. Many of the images presented are drawings of genuine military artifacts used by the English Miliary during the Napoleonic, French, and American Revolution wars. Other images are satirical pieces depicted the lives of the English common people during wartime. Regardless, the knowledge and understanding gained from each image gives the reader context into Jane Austen’s life and why she depicted the military in her novels in certain fashions.
A gallery exhibit showcasing religion in Jane Austen's Society. A variety of images are displayed and shown, including religious clothing from the time in which Jane Austen was alive, an 1806 King James Bible, old Church documents playfully filled out by Austen and a marriage witness signature from her and her sister, stained glass windows, and church pews that discuss designated seating between rich and poor individuals. The Anglican customs and beliefs are displayed throughout each of these gallery exhibits, as well as the extensive history of the Church of England, how Anglicanism shaped Austen's life, and how her career was affected by religion.
The shift from Abstract Expressionism in the 1940s to Pop Art in the 1960s refelcted societal changes influenced by postwar consumerism, technological advancements, and the rise of mass media.
While Abstract Expressionism emphasized emotional intensity and individual expression, Pop Art used bold, familiar imagery and commercial aesthetics to critique violence and address pressing social issues, using irony to engage a wider audience in anti-war and nonviolence messages. Pop Art also functioned as a protest against the perceived elitism of Abstract Expressionism, which, with its detachment from reality, was seen as inaccessible to the general public. Pop Art grounded its imagery in the real world, allowing viewers to connect more directly with their contemporary experience.
