Library Guides: No Cost Low Cost Options for Courses: Arts and Culture

OER in Art

ART X HISTORY ArtxHistory is offered as an alternative to a textbook, relieving users of cost, as quality content online develops. The core intent of ArtxHistory is to offer an art history that replaces the dominant white, male, heteronormative, advantaged, celebrity narratives for a more inclusive history balanced with the work of women, artists of color, LGBTQIA+ persons, intersectional makers, and the self-taught. Reflected by the diaspora, America, and particularly New York based practices, are an overriding locus of investigation. While pointing toward a decolonized art history, ArtxHistory is not comprehensive nor free of biases. Artists and scholars are welcome to use and facilitate in the development of ArtxHistory for a more open, equitable, engaged classroom. This project is an act of love for the artists' who pose the necessary questions of our time, and for our students who deserve to see all of those questions.
Google Arts and Culture
Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning
Smithsonian Institute
Where does Art Come From? Art traditions from Africa, Oceania, South and Southeast Asia, Islamicate regions, East Asia, and the indigenous Americas (before colonization) are prioritized to challenge the long-held view that “real art” only comes from the West. Introductory discussions of the history of art history and geographic conventions set the stage for considering the larger question, “where does art come from,” and other questions such as, “why haven’t I heard much about art from Africa, Oceania, etc.?” This book takes a pluralistic approach, forefronting diversity and interconnectedness. Scholars and students collaborated to produce this book. Student contributions will continue to improve the text and interactivity as it evolves. A scavenger hunt of student-made “easter eggs” builds a thread of engagement and humor throughout the book. Make sure to find them all!

OER in Media

Humans R Social Media Designed for beginning college students, Humans are Social Media offers a unique, multimedia overview of social media in relationships with users and human cultures.
Photography: What, How, Why A beginner’s guide to the process of black and white 35mm analog film photography. We explain the picture-taking process, film development, and darkroom printing.

OER in Music

Class Piano I - Course Materials and Tutorials
Comprehensive Musicianship, A Practical Resource Presents an integrated suite of learning resources developed for the core music theory and musicianship curriculum at the University of Northern Iowa School of Music. It provides a more comprehensive symbiosis of musicianship and music theory learning than can be found in existing textbooks, including engaging and progressive video demonstrations and interactive listening and vocal exercises that integrate musical knowledge with foundational musical skills. This OER affords the flexibility to shape core musicianship and music theory learning to meet the needs of changing School of Music demographics well into the future, a resource for innovative and inviting music programs accessible to all.
Fundamentals, Function, and Form This text provides readers with a comprehensive study of the theory and analysis of tonal Western art music. Author Andre Mount begins by building a strong foundation in the understanding of rhythm, meter, and pitch as well as the notational conventions associated with each. From there, he guides the reader through an exploration of polyphony—the simultaneous sounding of multiple independent melodies—and an increasingly rich array of different sonorites that grow out of this practice. The book culminates with a discussion of musical form, engaging with artistic works in their entirety by considering the interaction of harmonic and thematic elements, but also such other musical dimensions as rhythm, meter, texture, and expression.
Fundamentals, Function, and Form Student Workbook Students of tonal Western art music will find in this workbook a full set of exercises and activities to deepen and reinforce their understanding of music theory and analysis. The book begins with such rudimentary topics as rhythm, meter, and pitch and progresses through polyphony, chromatic harmony, and musical form. In addition to exercises tailored to each topic, the book features recurrent activities focused on four-voice part-writing (figured-bass/Roman numeral realization and melody harmonization) as well as score analysis, which become progressively more advanced as new concepts and skills are covered. Included for analysis are over 500 excerpts drawn from the literature, almost all of which were composed by women and other underrepresented groups. The online version of the text includes embedded audio files for immediate aural reinforcement. Score excerpts and audio files are also available to download for use in class handouts and slideshows. This workbook was designed to supplement the text Fundamentals, Function, and Form. Each chapter in the textbook has been given a corresponding chapter here so that students can move fluidly between the two. The exercises were also designed to be used independently from the textbook, by instructors who may prefer to use other texts and materials. Clear directions and examples are provided throughout, making the book equally suitable for self-guided learners.
Music (So You Need to Teach Online Music)
Music and the Child
Music Appreciation (Georgia Gwinnett College)
Music in World Cultures This text provides just a small sampling of some of the various musical styles and traditions that might be found, though the skills developed in this course can be applied to any type of music.
Music Theory for Musicians and Normal People
Understanding Music: Past and Present
Understanding Music: Past and Present Understanding Music: Past and Present is an open Music Appreciation textbook co-authored by music faculty across Georgia. The text covers the fundamentals of music and the physics of sound, an exploration of music from the Middle Ages to the present day, and a final chapter on popular music in the United States.

OER in Theatre/Film

The American Variety Stage The American Variety Stage is a multimedia anthology selected from various Library of Congress holdings. This collection illustrates the vibrant and diverse forms of popular entertainment, especially vaudeville, that thrived from 1870-1920. Included are 334 English- and Yiddish-language playscripts, 146 theater playbills and programs, 61 motion pictures, 10 sound recordings and 143 photographs and 29 memorabilia items documenting the life and career of Harry Houdini.
Exploring Movie Construction and Production
The Folger Shakespeare Library The Folger Shakespeare Library and publishing partner, Simon & Schuster Audio, share excerpts from the audio performances of Shakespeare’s plays. These productions were performed by the professional actors of Folger Theatre, in consultation with the editors of The Folger Shakespeare. The Folger Shakespeare audiobooks are available on a wide variety of audiobook platforms.
Google Arts & Culture
Hathi Trust xplore plays in the public domain by searching Hathi Trust. HathiTrust is a Epartnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
HowlRound Theatre Commons A free and open site for theatre hosted at Emerson College that has articles and livestream performances
National Theatre YouTube Channel
Project Gutenberg - Plays Bookshelf Project Gutenberg offers over 56,000 free eBooks: Choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online. You will find the world's great literature here, especially older works for which copyright has expired. We digitized and diligently proofread them with the help of thousands of volunteers. - Project Gutenberg
Script Analysis (MIT Open Courseware) This is an example of a theater course available through MIT's Open Courseware. Teaching materials may be found through the site.
The Shows Must Go On! YouTube Channel Welcome to The Shows Must Go On the channel bringing you showtunes, backstage access and full performances from some of the best loved musicals in history! Featuring the best of musical theatre and beyond! From The West End to Broadway we've got you covered!

Textbooks

An Introduction to Technical Theatre edited by Tal Sanders An Introduction to Technical Theatre draws on the author’s experience in both the theatre and the classroom over the last 30 years. Intended as a resource for both secondary and post-secondary theatre courses, this text provides a comprehensive overview of technical theatre, including terminology and general practices. Introduction to Technical Theatre’s accessible format is ideal for students at all levels, including those studying technical theatre as an elective part of their education. The text’s modular format is also intended to assist teachers approach the subject at their own pace and structure, a necessity for those who may regularly rearrange their syllabi around productions and space scheduling
Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema edited by Russell Sharman A free and open-source introduction to the art and science of moving pictures, offering in-depth exploration of how cinema communicates, and what, exactly, it is trying to say. License:
Storytelling on Screen: An Online Playback Theatre Archive and Guidebook Playback Theatre is a form of community-centered storytelling theater where the audience tells stories, which are then reflected by a company of actors and musicians. Storytelling on Screen: An Online Playback Theatre Archive and Guidebook is an open education resource consisting of a collection of full-length recordings of online Playback Theatre performances, and a 55-page explanatory guidebook. The guidebook, featuring a foreword by Playback Theatre co-founder, Jo Salas, explains the adaptation to online performances and some of the key concepts, roles, and forms involved in online Playback Theatre. The resource as a whole is suitable for a wide range of theatre students in courses such as applied theatre, theatre for social justice, improvisation, theatre appreciation, or acting. The guidebook contains hyperlinks to specific sections of the archive where students can see a given form or concept in action, allowing for a comparison of how different companies approach a given form.
Theatrical Worlds edited by Charles Mitchel From the University of Florida College of Fine Arts, Charlie Mitchell and distinguished colleagues from across America present an introductory text for theatre and theoretical production. This book seeks to give insight into the people and processes that create theater. It does not strip away the feeling of magic but to add wonder for the artistry that make a production work well.