This course will explore the highlights and minefields of the little discussed relationship between a variety of political, social, and cultural realities identified by the umbrella term “ethics” and the world of art. Art theft and restitution, cultural patrimony, government funding for the arts, and museum practices with regard to the acquisition and display of art, especially of religious art, are among the issues that, over the past few decades, have generated headlines in international and local media. Individual case studies will shed light on the broader theme of “art and ethics” from the recent First Amendment concerns over the special exhibition Hide and Seek at The National Portrait Gallery to the Brooklyn Museum’s presentation of Sensation. The role of museums as public educational and cultural institutions will be considered in terms of both their pre-9/11 and post-9/11 modes of exhibiting permanent collections and special exhibitions, and coordinated educational programming. Artworks, controversial exhibitions, and cultural patrimony versus cultural heritage will be considered as we span the landmarks of Western art from the Elgin Marbles to the more provocative contemporary situations.