Journal Article — Examining a First Amendment Court Case to Teach Argument Analysis to Freshman Writers at an Art College — by Angelika Festa

By examining the arguments put forth by plaintiffs and defendants in art censorship cases, students in a freshman writing course become aware that argumentation and analysis play important roles not only in courts of law but also in the art world and in their own everyday lives as artists. This article discusses effective use of published information about a 1999 First Amendment case (Brooklyn Institute of the Arts and Sciences v. City of New York and Rudolph W. Giuliani). Guided by reading and writing assignments and a series of class discussions, students learn to analyze arguments on rights related to freedom of speech, art making and exhibiting.