With the world’s attention set on Palestine, what can students learn from exploring messages expressed through artistry rather than political debate? Next semester, Drake University students will have the opportunity to discover this for themselves as Palestinian Art returns.
This specialized art history course at Drake is officially planned for the spring semester, guiding students through Palestinian art produced from before 1948 to the present day. Palestinian Art, first introduced during the 2025 spring semester at Drake and taught for eight years by Sascha Crasnow, an assistant professor of art history, aims to help students digest the historical and cultural narratives of Palestine using visual art.
Gesine Gerhard, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, described the course as a reflection of Crasnow’s academic expertise. Crasnow was hired in 2024 specifically for her focus on art history in the Southwest Asia and North Africa region, and taught these historic contexts at the University of Michigan before coming to Drake.
“When we hired Professor Crasnow, her expertise and specialization in a geographic and historical context that we didn’t cover was considered a great advantage and addition to our art history offerings,” Gerhard said.
The course approval process involved multiple levels of review. Department of Art and Design Chair John Fender noted that while the standard process could take one to two years, Crasnow’s extensive prior experience and research allowed for an efficient timeline.
“In this particular case, Professor Crasnow had already taught this course for several years and had refined it to a high level,” Fender said. “It allowed the review process to be completed on a shorter timeline.”
Crasnow’s current book project, “The Age of Disillusionment: Palestinian Art After the Intifadas,” directly informed the course’s modern content. She emphasized the importance of establishing a historical foundation that dates back before 1948, when Israel was announced as a state and the Arab-Israeli war broke out.
“When people think of the context of Palestine, 1948 is important because a lot of things change,” Crasnow said. “There was art in that part of the region at that time in Palestine; there were artists who existed pre-1948.”
The course structure analyzes themes of exile, occupation and resistance through an artistic lens. Crasnow said she planned to combine historical lectures with art analysis.
“Looking at the analysis of the particular artists is important,” Crasnow said. “Combining the historical lecture and the readings that art historians are analyzing, it’s also divided thematically with the particular historical trends.”
Similarly, Gerhard saw the course as relatable to historical studies of how artists adapted trauma into their works.
“As a historian of Europe with a specialization on the period of World War II and the Holocaust, I am always extremely interested in how traumatic experiences influence art, culture and memories,” Gerhard said. “Art is often a means for victims to cope, communicate and preserve the memory of atrocities. I know there are parallels in how artists reflect and process historical experiences.”
For student Owen Hasting, a psychology major who took the course in spring 2025 to fulfill an Area of Inquiry requirement, the class offered a new perspective on the history of these global narratives.
“Before the course, I knew absolutely nothing about Palestinian art. I knew a little about their history, but even then, it wasn’t significantly more than what you’d see on the news,” Hasting said. “The class focused on Palestinian art history, of course, but a lot of Palestinian art is motivated by their identity, in one way or another.”
Hasting said that the discussion-based format was a chance for students to follow the complex themes without showing hostility, and credited Crasnow for fostering a productive environment.
“Drake has many amazing professors, but Dr. Crasnow is incredibly qualified and successfully encourages discussion in a class that requires complex thought and discussion of difficult topics,” Hasting said. “Discussions occasionally led to disagreements, but they never drifted toward arguments.”
For Hasting, the most lasting impact was learning to approach complex subjects with greater context and more receptive curiosity.
“This class has helped me learn to keep an open mind,” Hasting said. “Without getting too political, the world is complicated. Nothing is black and white, and there are always motivations and justifications for actions that may initially seem good or bad.”
Crasnow’s goal for students is to move beyond acquiring specific knowledge about Palestinian art and history. She hopes the course taught a way of seeing that students could carry beyond the classroom.
“I want them to leave this class,” Crasnow said, “go to an artistic museum or class, and be able to interpret and share what they see in the work of art.”
