The focus of this practical course, offered in partnership with the Ben Franklin Scholars Program and the Netter Center, will be on the construction of a public art and performance space in West Philadelphia. Students will conduct research into the recent history and current state of public performance art, particularly work created in close collaboration and dialogue with local communities. Much of the work of the course will be engaging the West Philadelphia community neighborhood groups, schools, and arts organizations in a discussion about what form the public art space will take, what works it will include, and in what location it will be installed. The general frame for the work will be the shared life of West Philadelphia, a celebration of its history, traditions, and inhabitants. Students will be integrally involved in all aspects of the conception, design, and construction of the art space, including addressing the critical issue of the appropriation of public