The Cockefair Chair and members of the talented faculty at UMKC deliver short, engaging courses on national issues, Kansas City history and current events and literature and the arts. Join in to experience thoughtful analysis on a variety of subjects.

This course explores contemporary artists’ inquiries into the intricate workings of the human mind, introducing such concepts as neuroaesthetics, neuroplasticity, and mirror neurons through the lens of contemporary artworks that showcase our ability to modulate brain activity. We will also explore why we find aesthetic experiences rewarding and what factors influence which art we like. We will also look at artists’ uses of brain imagery, from anatomical drawings to MRI images and 3D models to reflect on the nature of selfhood, memory, and consciousness. Finally, we will look at artists’ integration of neurofeedback technology in performances and participatory installations that elicit meditative states of mind and empathetic connections.