Modern Art & Ideas (Coursera)

Modern Art & Ideas (Coursera)

Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Over the next five weeks, you will look at art through a variety of themes: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects works of art from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection to the theme. You will hear audio interviews with artists, designers, and curators and learn more about selected works in the additional readings and resources.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Throughout this course you will discover how artists:
-- represent place and take inspiration from their environment,
-- create works of art to express, explore, and question identity,
-- use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes a work of art and how it should be made,
-- and respond to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time through works of art.
Through the discussion forum prompts and peer review assignment, you will also have the opportunity to connect with other learners and explore how these themes resonate with your own life and experience.
Course 1 of 4 in the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas
Be introduced to some of the overall benefits of studying modern and contemporary art through accessible and relevant themes.

WEEK 2
Places & Spaces
Discover some of the many ways that artists represent place and take inspiration from their environment.

WEEK 3
Art & Identity
See how artists create works of art to express, explore, and question identity.

WEEK 4
Transforming Everyday Objects
Discover how artists use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes art and how it should be made. Explore a variety of artistic and design choices, and the creative acts of inventing and transforming everyday objects.

WEEK 5
Art & Society
Explore works of art created in response to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time. Gain a deeper understanding of history and contemporary society. Be encouraged to think critically about world events and how they are depicted.
Art & Society: Lesson Choices

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Visionary leadership, identity & motivation: Become a meaning maker (Coursera) Coursera
Macquarie University

Visionary leadership, identity & motivation: Become a meaning maker (Coursera)

When faced with a complex and ambiguous work environment, how do you, as a potential leader, envision the future? How can you deliver on your vision in a way that conveys meaning and drives positive change within your organisation? In this course you will explore how leaders can create a compelling vision and communicate it, and how they create meaning and make work more meaningful.

Jun 7th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Videojuegos: ¿de qué hablamos? (Coursera) Coursera
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Videojuegos: ¿de qué hablamos? (Coursera)

Probablemente, todos hemos jugado a algún videojuego, pero ¿qué hay detrás de él? Podemos decir que - con independencia del videojuego - hay un árduo trabajo multidisciplinar que incluye desde aspectos de diseño hasta la programación como tal del videojuego. Este curso pretende ser un curso introductorio que muestre qué aspectos hay que considerar en el videojuego, y que permita con posterioridad abordar individualmente los temas que se consideran nucleares: diseño, arte, motor del videojuego y 'game play'.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Ignite Your Everyday Creativity (Coursera) Coursera
The State University of New York

Ignite Your Everyday Creativity (Coursera)

Creativity is an essential skill for the 21st Century that is innate in all people and can be nurtured. We constantly need new and better ideas for almost every aspect of our professional and personal lives. The goal of this course is to help you recognize, develop and act upon the creativity that you already possess. We will accomplish this using three methods: b aware, b inspired, and b creative.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Technology of Music Production (Coursera) Coursera
Berklee College of Music

The Technology of Music Production (Coursera)

Learn about the music production process—including recording, editing, and mixing—and the tools available to you to create contemporary music on your computer. With the recent introduction of high-quality-low-cost software and hardware, the tools of music production are now available to the masses. Albums are made in bedrooms as well as studios. On the surface this is liberating. Anyone can make an album for the low cost of a couple pieces of gear and a software package. But, if you dig deeper, you will find that it is not so easy. Producing music requires knowledge, dedication, and creativity.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Love as a Force for Social Justice (Coursera) Coursera
Stanford University

Love as a Force for Social Justice (Coursera)

This course will explore the concept of agape love (compassion/kindness) as a force for social justice and action and as the inspiration for service and the application of knowledge to positive social change. Biological, psychological, religious, and social perspectives of love will be discussed, drawing on the expertise of people from a variety of disciplines.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Data Science Ethics (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Data Science Ethics (Coursera)

What are the ethical considerations regarding the privacy and control of consumer information and big data, especially in the aftermath of recent large-scale data breaches? This course provides a framework to analyze these concerns as you examine the ethical and privacy implications of collecting and managing big data. Explore the broader impact of the data science field on modern society and the principles of fairness, accountability and transparency as you gain a deeper understanding of the importance of a shared set of ethical values.

Jun 1st 2026
4 Weeks
The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction (Coursera) Coursera
Northwestern University

The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction (Coursera)

The Talmud is one of the richest and most complicated works of literature the world has ever known. Since being composed around 1500 years ago it has inspired not only religious reverence but significant intellectual engagement. In this course learners will be introduced to the unique characteristics of this text and the challenges that inhere in studying it while studying a chapter of the Talmud.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Patrick Henry: Forgotten Founder (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia,UVA Lifetime Learning, Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation

Patrick Henry: Forgotten Founder (Coursera)

“Give me liberty, or give me death:” Remembering Patrick Henry, the Forgotten Founder. Patrick Henry was enormously popular during the American Revolution. Even Thomas Jefferson, who over time developed a deep loathing of Henry (some would say jealousy), had to admit that “it is not now easy to say what we should have done without Patrick Henry.” Edmund Randolph, a patriot leader in his own right, explained that “It was Patrick Henry … awakening the genius of his country, and binding a band of patriots together to hurl defiance at the tyranny of so formidable a nation as Great Britain.”

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Greek and Roman Mythology (Coursera)

Myths are traditional stories that have endured over a long time. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths.

Jun 1st 2026
5-12 Weeks