‘The Sun Ra Course’

As students examined the work of composer, poet, musician, artist Sun Ra, the course situated Sun Ra art historically and considered the scope of his relevance to art making and creative practice.

Faculty included artists, musicians, theorists and writers passionate about the artist: jazz trumpeter and educator Ahmed Abdullah; writer and curator John Corbett; writer and founder of The New Art School Modality Romi Crawford; academic and writer Stefano Harney; writer and professor Brent Hayes Edwards; academic and poet Fred Moten; artist-led collective The Otolith Group; double bassist William Parker; filmmaker and multimedia artist Cauleen Smith; and author, director, scholar and dance therapist Ytasha Womack.

Fall 2024

‘Arts Writing / Writing About Art’

This course focused on various forms of art writing, including traditional criticism and fresh, innovative approaches.

Faculty included writers, artists and arts professionals with experience in this genre: Hauser & Wirth Publishers editor Jake Brodsky; curator Valerie Cassel-Oliver; academic, writer and founder of The Art School Modality Romi Crawford; academic and writer Stefano Harney; academic and art historian Hannah Higgins; artist Glenn Ligon; writer and critic Siddhartha Mitter; curator and researcher René Morales; academic and poet Fred Moten; art historian and writer Alexander Nemerov; curator and writer Legacy Russell; art historian and curator Lowery Stokes Sims; art historian, curator and writer Jenni Sorkin; and film historian, archivist and author Jacqueline Stewart.

You can watch an excerpt from one class led by Glenn Ligon below. In this session, Ligon shares his perspective on how writing, text, painting and printing intertwine within his practice.

Hauser & Wirth, 18th Street will continue to host courses this spring including ‘The Sun Ra Course’ every Friday from 7 March – 4 April 2025 and ‘Notes from the Artist’s Studio’ from 18 April – 9 May 2025. Additional modules will be facilitated by The New Art School Modality until spring 2026.

About The New Art School Modality

Founded by Romi Crawford, The New Art School Modality explores and brings to life new forms of teaching, learning, art production and impact. The school is grounded in an ethos of collaboration, experimentation and improvisation. It offers a revised version of the art school model, methods and procedures, one that has fewer institutional protocols. There is intentionally less handholding and the apparatus is reduced. All of this as a nod to prior historical moments when making art and being an artist were less reliant on costly infrastructures. The New Art School Modality courses are hybrid, online and in-person. Unlike other art schools, it is not place based or centric. The New Art School Modality is supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art.