The City of Springfield, Massachusetts is one of the largest cities in western Massachusetts, and was established on the Connecticut River for trading and as a fur-collecting post. In 18th and early 19th century, it experienced an industrial boom and became a regional financial center. Springfield became a major railroad center and grew to become the regional center for banking, finance, and courts. However, in mid-19th century Springfield suffered due to the flooding of the Connecticut River and the disinvestment in industry. These resulted in an urban sprawl as people started moving away from heart of the city. Now, once again, the city is trying to revitalize its downtown and neighboring areas to attract people by improving different types of social and cultural amenities. In this thesis, the author studies the relation of the city with its natural asset ‘The Connecticut Riverfront’ which can be a great place to attract people towards the heart of the city. The author has also researched the various reasons causing this natural asset to be underutilized for several years. In addition, the author also explores the possibilities of connecting the Springfield downtown to the riverfront, providing safe and undisturbed access mainly to pedestrians, physically challenged people, and bike riders. Research shows that the existing transportation paths are the major barriers discouraging people from reaching the riverfront. In order to overcome this problem, a design solution is proposed including a safe, pedestrian-friendly link from the downtown area to the riverfront mitigating all the transportation paths such as highway, high speed traffic roads, and railway tracks. The proposed link will give encouragement to local artist and will also aim to boost local businesses by providing sites for museums, exhibitions, art galleries, food courts, and retail shops. This structure will not only improve the accessibility but it will also provide public open spaces where people can gather for various activities and can also enjoy the scenic view of the riverfront. In Addition, local people can also enjoy the water viewing restaurant and bar overlooking Connecticut River. Lastly, this connecting link lays the foundation for further development of the riverfront area due to increased accessibility to this asset.

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The dissertation studies the features and modes adopted by the street art in urban cultural space. The text presents an analysis of history and contemporary forms of street art in Russia. Through the works of major artists, themes and festivals, the author elucidates characteristic features of Ekaterinburg street art, explores the work of “Sweater” street art gallery and the experience of the All-Russian Street Art Festival “Stenograffia”. Sociological research conducted by the author helps to understand the attitudes of Ekaterinburg’s younger population towards specific street art objects and street art in general. / Диссертация посвящена изучению особенностей и форм проявления street art в культурном пространстве города на примере г. Екатеринбурга. Анализируется история и современные формы street art в России. Через работы значимых художников, темы и фестивали выявляются особенности стрит-арта в Екатеринбурге, исследуется деятельность галереи уличного искусства «Свитер» и опыт проведения Всероссийского фестиваля уличного искусства «Стенограффия». На основе проведенного социологического опроса выявляется отношение молодежи г. Екатеринбурга к отдельным объектам уличного искусства и стрит-арту в целом.

Collaborating in the Electric Age: [onto]Riffological Experiments in Posthumanizing Education and Theorizing a Machinic Arts-Based Research is a study about locating opportunities and entry points for introducing consideration of the nonhuman and posthuman to pedagogical perspectives that are traditionally concerned with human beings and epistemological subjects. The research, herein, engages doings in collaborative effort, during conditions of unprecedented interconnectedness facilitated by the electric age. Steeped in a environment thus created by technologies’ immense ubiquity and influence, this collaboration endeavours to recognize their full research participation, alongside that of humans. This research presents collaboratively conducted, published inquiries that have been coauthored by myself and fellow doctoral candidate Richard Wainwright. Each facilitates, then attempts to articulate ways to decentre the human in educational contexts, beginning with our own human perspectives. As exercises in broadening our considerations of the life forms, matter, and nonhuman entities that surround humanity, this research prompts us to recognize much more than what humanity typically acknowledges as existing, given the anthropocentric frameworks it has constructed. We reorientate the nature of these relationships—posthumanizing them—and in doing so, disrupt our own thinking to work something different than our circumstances have hitherto informed us to consider. We have co-developed a study and conducted research in collaboration with human and nonhuman research participants.Five nationally and internationally published co-authored journal articles, a book chapter, and five intermezzos (short “observational” pieces) comprise this study that explores collaboration and recombinatoriality during “the electric age” (McLuhan, 1969, 10:05). Recognizing humanity’s increasingly inextricable relationships with technologies, this collaboratively conducted study draws into creative assemblage Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s philosophical concepts; new materialism as cultural theory; the prescient observations and predictions of Marshall McLuhan and a media studies curriculum he co-developed over forty years ago; arts-based research; museum exhibitions; features of music production such as sampling, mashup, remix, and turntabling; among many other notes and tones. A conceptually developed riff mobilizes our inquiries as “plug in and play,” while its academic study is theorized as [onto]Riffology. Ontological shifts beget a machinic arts-based research (MABR) that develops a posthuman critical pedagogy inspired by Negri and Guattari (2010). Collaborating in the Electric Age: [onto]Riffological Experiments in Posthumanizing Education and Theorizing a Machinic Arts-Based Research celebrates collaborativity, discovery, and learning during the electric age. / Graduate / 2023-01-07

I sought to find out whether this was a tension between artistic and commercial in the career of visual artists, and if so, how this tension was managed. In attempting to uncover information which could address the research question I undertook in-depth career history interviews with artists which covered their time at art school through to their current practice. The career history method was deliberately chosen in order to address the research question at a tangent as both the literature, and my own personal experience of the field of contemporary visual art, had suggested that the topic of artistic and commercial was a sensitive one. By framing the interviews around the experiences the artists had through the time period of their training and career, I was able to approach the research questions indirectly from the perspective of the artists. Through analysis of the interview transcripts the framework of Bourdieu's capitals arose as one that would capably explain the activities which the artists were undertaken and I used this as a framing device for the empirical chapters in the thesis. In exploring ideas of cultural, social and economic capitals in relation to how artists describe the activities they undertake during their career it became apparent that the broad structures of cultural capital needed further refinement in their application to the careers of visual artists. In the thesis I chose to elaborate further on the concept of artistic capital which has, until now, been unexplored by scholars. I have developed an understanding of artistic capital as a subcategory of cultural capital with particular application to the field of contemporary visual art – with the potential for wider application beyond the thesis. The three capitals of artistic, social and economic proved a capable structure for understanding whether there was a tension between artistic and commercial and how artists managed this. Through this research I have found that artists come to believe, during their early career and training through art school, that there is a tension between artistic and commercial as this is perpetuated by institutions and art world participants through their exclusion or dismissal of commercial aspects of the visual art field. Through their careers they come to realise that this tension is less prevalent than they thought and that they are able to manage these two aspects of artistic and commercial more effectively. However, artists continue to be faced with instances where this tension is imposed upon them by other art world players who perpetuate the belief that there is an inherent, unresolvable tension between artistic and commercial. These individuals attempt to shield artists from this perceived tension later in their careers when artists are already adept at managing the competing priorities of artistic and commercial without the two creating tension.

The submission of this thesis was preceded by a specialised studio „Brněnské nábřeží a kulturní čtvrť Ponava“. This work focused on a complex urban architectural solution to the area around the former “Jaselská kasárna”, the urban context, transport services, the field configuration etc. The thesis follows this project in a section defined by streets U Červeného mlýna, Staňkova and Střední. The goal of the thesis lies in the creation of an intensive goal – a cultural area, which will offer a high-quality space for intergenerational communication and new social experiences and activities. It newly connects the urban part Ponava with the town center of Brno by a high-quality axis for pedestrian and cycling transport. The project of this cultural area arose after a thorough analysis of surrounding, intercity and global relations as a combination of aims: for children – the elementary art school with graphic and dancing fields, for seniors – leisure time center, and for all together - a multifunctional concert hall and a revitalized area of the former industrial zone of furniture production to a multipurpose intergenerational area with a modern art gallery, offices for young businessmen, architects and artists, and a music club in the basement of the gallery.

Text in English with abstracts in English, Sesotho, isiZulu and Afrikaans. Translated titles in Sesotho, isiZulu and Afrikaans / In the thesis, I critically examine the art acquisition policy of the Unisa Art Gallery (UAG) during and after apartheid in South Africa. The Unisa Art Gallery acquisition policy (UAGAP) is investigated against the transformation imperatives as informed by national policies on arts and culture. I take the view that the process of art acquisition does not exist outside of the sociopolitical discourse. Although the thesis is registered in the subject of Art History, the research adopts a multidisciplinary approach as it straddles the domains of visual art and cultural policy. Therefore, its focus on acquisition policy requires a combination of methodologies that can accommodate the intended research objectives. The study is based on the hypothesis that the collecting of art and acquisition policies are still untransformed from the Eurocentric paradigm of thought. I adopt Afrocentricity and decoloniality as theoretical frames of analysis. University museums are public cultural institutions, and the South African Constitution guarantees the right to culture. Therefore, the reluctance of public institutions to uphold the imperatives demonstrates a level of resistance to transformation. In the study, I investigate circumstances that influence the positive or negative way the UAGAP seemingly responds to the socio-economic and political imperatives of national policies in post-apartheid South Africa. Data analysis shows that there is no explicit relation between the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage (WPACH) (DAC 1996) and the UAGAP. Another finding is that artworks collected in the past were mainly informed by epistemologies which were predominantly Eurocentric, whereby especially the black society has little or no say in the development of university museum policies. Lastly, the perception of arts practitioners is that the pace of transformation of university art collection policies is slow. The findings give rise to a recommendation that government should go beyond “the arms-length approach” (Deacon 2010) in the transformation of arts institutions, and intervene. Another recommendation is that unless the government White Papers are translated into law, they will continue to be ignored by public institutions. / Kule thesisi, ngiphenya ngendlela egxekayo ukutholakala komsebenzi wobuciko. Umgomo omayelana nokutholwa komsebenzi wobuciko kwisikhungo Sombukiso Wobuciko saseNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Africa (Unisa Art Gallery) ngesikhathi sombuso wengcindezelo nangemuva kwesikhathi sombuso wengcindezelo eNingizimu Africa. Umgomo omayelana nokutholakala kwemisebenzi yobuciko yesikhungo Sombukiso Wobuciko eNyuvesi yaseNingizimu Africa uphenywa kubhekwe kwezinto ezinhle ezilethwa yizinguquko njengoba lokhu kugunyazwa yimigomo yezwe kwezobuciko kanye namasiko. Ngithatha umbono othi uhlelo lwezokutholakala kobuciko alwenzeki ngaphandle kwemithelela yezenhlalakahle yabantu kwezepolitiki. Yize ithesisi ibhaliswe kwisifundo soMlando weZobuciko, ucwaningo lwamukela indlela equkethe izifundo eziningi njengoba le thesisi ifinyelela emikhakheni yomsebenzi wobuciko obukwayo kanye nakumgomo wosiko. Ngakho-ke, impokophelo yale thesisi kumgomo wokutholakala komsebenzi wobuciko ifuna inhlanganyela yezindlela zokuhlaziya ezingaxuba phakathi izinhloso zocwaningo eziqondiwe. Ucwaningo lususelwa kwihayiphothesisi/isihlambiselelo esithi imigomo emayelana nokuqoqwa kwemisebenzi yobuciko kanye nokutholakala kwemisebenzi yobuciko ayikaguquki kwizimpande zemibono yaseNtshonalanga/yaseYurophu. Ngamukela imibono egxile kubu-Afrika nemibono eqeda ubukoloni njengezinhlaka zemibono yokuhlaziya. Izikhungo zokugcina amagugu asenyuvesi zingamaziko wamasiko omphakathi, kanti uMthethosisekelo waseNingizimu Afrika unikeza ilungelo lokwenza usiko. Ngakho-ke, ukuba manqikanqika kwamaziko ombuso ukuphakamisa ubuhle bamasiko ngokuhlukahlukana kwawo njengokomgomo kukhombisa izinga lokunqaba ushintsho. Kulolu cwaningo, ngiphenya izimo ezinomthelela phezu kwendlela enhle noma embi uhlelo lwe-UAGAP elibonakala libheka ngayo nezindaba ezimayelana nenhlalakahle yabantu kwezomnotho nakwezepolitiki, ezindabeni zemigomo yezwe esikhathi sangemuva kombuso wengcindezelo eNingizimu Africa. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombisa ukuthi abukho ubudlelwane obubonakalayo phakathi kwe-White Paper kwezoBuciko, ezamaSiko kanye nama-Gugu (WPACH) (DAC 1996) kanye nohlelo lwe-UAGAP. Okunye okutholakele ukuthi imisebenzi yobuciko eqoqwe esikhathini esedlule beyincike kakhulu kuma-ephistemoloji ebegxile kwingqubo yase-Yurophu/yaseNtshonalanga, kanti-ke, umphakathi ompisholo ikakhulu akukho nokuncane noma akukho ongakukhuluma mayelana nemigomo yokuthuthukiswa kwezikhungo zokugcina ubuciko bamagugu. Okokugcina, umqondo wabasebenzi kwezobuciko uthi izinhlelo zezinguquko zemigomo yokuqoqwa kwemisebenzi yobuciko emanyuvesi zihamba ngonyawo lonwabu. Ulwazi olutholakele kucwaningo luphakamisa isinqumo sokuthi uhulumeni kufanele asebenze ngomgomo owodwa “the arms-length approach” (Deacon 2010) kuhlelo lwezinguquko kumaziko obuciko, bese angenelele. Esinye isinqumo ukuthi ngaphandle kokuthi ama-White Paper kahulumeni ashicilelwe abe wumthetho, amaziko ombuso azoqhubeka nokuwashaya indiva. / Mo polelotheong eno, ke tlhatlhobile pholisi ya phitlhelelo ya botsweretshi ya Lefelo la Botsweretshi la Unisa (UAG) ka tsela ya tshekatsheko ka nako ya, le morago ga tlhaolele mo Aforikaborwa. Pholisi ya phitlhelelo ya Lefelo la Botsweretshi ya Unisa (UAGAP) e batlisisiwa e bapisitswe le ditlhokego tsa phetogo jaaka di kaelwa ke dipholisi tsa bosetšhaba tsa botsweretshi le setso. Ke akanya gore tirego ya phitlhelelo ya botsweretshi ga e diragale kwa ntle ga puisano ya politiki ya loago. Le fa e le gore polelotheo e kwadisitswe mo setlhogong sa Hisetori ya Botsweretshi, patlisiso e tsaya boitlhagiso jwa melebomentsi jaaka fa e paraletse mo mefameng ya botsweretshi jwa pono le pholisi ya setso. Ka jalo, go tota ga yona pholisi ya phitlhelelo go tlhoka motswako wa mekgwa e e ka amogelang maikemisetso a patlisiso a a lebeletsweng. Thutopatlisiso e ikaegile ka tshitshinyo ya gore dipholisi tsa kokoanyo le phitlhelelo ya botsweretshi di sa ntse di sa fetoga go tswa mo mogopolong wa setso sa Yuropa. Ke tsaya boikaego jwa Aforika le tloso ya bokoloniale jaaka letlhomeso la tiori la tokololo. Dimusiamo tsa diyunibesiti ke ditheo tsa setso tsa setšhaba, mme Molaotheo wa Aforikaborwa o sireletsa tshwanelo ya setso. Ka jalo, go belaela ga ditheo tsa setšhaba go tsweletsa ditlhokego go bontsha go kgaratlha kgatlhanong le diphetogo. Mo thutopatlisisong, ke batlisisa mabaka a a tlhotlheletsang mokgwa o o siameng gongwe o o sa siamang o go lebegang e kete UAGAP e tsibogela ka ona ditlhokego tsa ikonomiloago le sepolitiki tsa dipholisi tsa bosetšhaba tsa Aforikaborwa ya morago ga tlhaolele. Tokololo ya data e bontsha gore ga go na kgolagano e e tlhamaletseng magareng ga Pampiritshweu ya Botsweretshi, Setso le Ngwaoboswa (WPACH) (DAC 1996) le UAGAP. Phitlhelelo e nngwe ke ya gore ditiro tsa botsweretshi tse di kokoantsweng mo nakong e e fetileng di ne di ikaegile bogolosegolo ka diepisetemoloji tse di neng di na le phekeetso e kgolo ya setso sa Yuropa, moo tota setšhaba sa bantsho se nang le tshwaelo e e seng kalo gongwe se se na tshwaelo epe mo go tlhamiweng ga dipholisi tsa dimusiamo tsa diyunibesiti. Kwa bokhutlong, kakanyo ya badiragatsi ba botsweretshi ke gore kgato ya diphetogo ya dipholisi tsa kokoanyo ya botsweretshi jwa diyunibesiti e bonya. Diphitlhelelo di baka katlenegiso ya gore puso e tshwanetse go dira go feta “molebo o o sa gateleleng taolo gongwe tekanyetso” (Deacon 2010) mo diphetogong tsa ditheo tsa botsweretshi, mme e tsereganye. Katlenegiso e nngwe ke ya gore kwa ntle ga gore Dipampiritshweu tsa puso di fetolelwe go nna molao, ditheo tsa setšhaba di tlaa tswelela go di ikgatholosa. / In hierdie tesis ondersoek ek die kunsaankoopbeleid van die Unisa Kunsgalery (UKG) tydens en ná apartheid. Die kunsaankoopbeleid van die Unisa Kunsgalery (KABUKG) word volgens die nasionale transformasiebeleid oor kuns en kultuur beoordeel. Kunsaankope staan na my mening nie los van die sosiopolitieke diskoers nie. Ofskoon hierdie tesis onder die vak Kunsgeskiedenis ingeskryf is, word ʼn multidissiplinêre benadering gevolg aangesien die navorsing die terrein van die visuele kunste en dié van kultuurbeleid bestryk. Om die navorsingsdoelwitte te behaal, is ʼn kombinasie van metodologieë dus nodig. Die studie berus op die hipotese dat die versameling van kunswerke en die aankoopbeleid steeds Eurosentries gerig is en nie getransformeer het nie. Ek neem Afrosentrisiteit en dekolonialiteit as teoretiese ontledingsraamwerke. Universiteitsmuseums is openbare kultuurinstellings en die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet waarborg burgers die reg op kultuur. Openbare instellings se onwilligheid om die opdragte uit te voer, dui op ʼn weerstand teen transformasie. Ek verken die omstandighede wat bepaal hoe die KABUKG ná apartheid op die sosioëkonomiese en politieke opdragte reageer. Die dataontleding toon dat daar tussen die Witskrif oor Kuns, Kultuur en Erfenis (WKKE) (DAC 1996) en die KABUKG geen verband bestaan nie. Voorts is bevind dat kunswerke wat in die verlede aangekoop is, oorwegend Eurosentries was. Buitendien het swart mense tans weinig of geen seggenskap in universiteite se museumbeleide. Ten slotte is die tempo waarteen universiteite se aankoopbeleide transformeer volgens kunspraktisyns uiters traag. Daarom word op grond van die bevindings aanbeveel dat die regering sy armlengtebenadering (Deacon 2019) tot die transformasie van kunsinstellings laat vaar, en ingryp. As witskrifte nie wet gemaak word nie, sal openbare instellings aanhou om hulle te ignoreer. / Arts and Music / D. Phil. (Art)