ARH 125 - Chase: Getting Started

Visit the Worcester Art Museum (WAM) and select one of the works on the list Professor Chase handed out.

Be certain to:

• look carefully at the work
• take notes or even a (NON-FLASH) photo to refer to later
• make note of the author, year, date, and ACCESSION NUMBER (you will need this when you visit the WAM Library)
• read (or even photograph) any and all signs or plaques that accompany the work

Reference sources, such as encyclopedias, provide you with background information on a subject, such as:

• a basic overview
• a brief chronology or historical context
• key concepts or themes
• established facts

After looking at the work you chose, you are ready to get started - before you even get into the library!

Professor Chase suggests that you ask yourself the same questions you can ask after seeing virtually any work of art:

• What is depicted? (i.e. What is the CONTENT?)
• How has the artist gone about treating the subject? (i.e. What FORM does it take?)

Consult your Term Paper Guidelines for more suggestions from Professor Chase to get your thinking headed in the right direction.

Schedule an individual consultation with a research librarian through this link.  A librarian is happy to help you at any point in the research process, from helping you develop a topic for your project, to finding information, to helping with citations. Zoom or in-person available.