ARTH - Art History

ARTH 101 Art in Culture from Prehistory to 1400

A chronological survey of art from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages (c. 1400), with an emphasis on art in the western tradition. The course will focus on the dynamic relationship between artistic form and cultural context.

3

ARTH 102 Art in Culture from 1400 to the Present

A chronological survey of art from the Renaissance (c. 1400) to the present, with emphasis on the western tradition. The course will focus on the dynamic relationship between artistic form and cultural context.

3

ARTH 175 Computers and Society

Introduction to the role of modern microcomputers in personal, entertainment and corporate communications. Discussion of the role computers have played in social change and how this is reflected in popular culture. Also addresses the use of computers in the creative environment including digital audio, video, multimedia production, the Internet and the World Wide Web.

3

ARTH 205 Women in Art

A thematic and topical course exploring women's roles as both productive subjects and depicted objects in western visual culture.

3

Prerequisites

ART 115 or ARTH 101 or ART 116 or ARTH 102 or WOST 201

Cross Listed Courses

WOST 205

ARTH 211 Survey of Medieval Art

An introduction to the history of western art from the late Roman Empire (c. 300) through the Middle Ages (c. 1400), including architecture, manuscript illumination, metalwork, sculpture, and textile production. The focus of the course is on the interactions of images and audiences in producing meaning within specific historical circumstances.

3

ARTH 215 Survey of Renaissance Art

An introduction to the history of western art from the end of the Middle Ages (c. 1400) through the High Renaissance (c. 1600), focusing on painting, printmaking, and sculpture from Italy and the Netherlands. The course locates the artistic movement of the Renaissance within the dramatic cultural and social changes that mark the Early Modern period in European history and seeks to place the material within a global context.

3

ARTH 220 Survey of 19th Century Art

A survey of 19th century European and American art and visual culture including such movements as Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.

3

ARTH 225 Modern Art 1900-1950

The course will explore aesthetic responses to early-20th century political, industrial, social and economic change. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the production and reception of 20th century European and American "avant-garde" art including; Constructivism, Cubism, German Expressionism, Dadaism, Futurism and Surrealism.

3

ARTH 229 Art/Reality - 19th Century America

Painting and sculpture between 1820 and 1920 - when it evolved from objective realism to modernist abstraction - is explored in the context of changing artistic and cultural values. Permission of the department.

3

ARTH 230 Black Art and Visual Culture in the U.S. 1850 - Present

The course examines the shifting constructs of race, power, and representation in American art and mass media from the colonial era to the present day. Its primary focus will be an analysis of works produced by Black American artists, but students will also examine how white artists and intellectuals have attempted to define and represent "blackness" from the 19th to the 21st century.

3

Prerequisites

ARTH 102 or ART 116

ARTH 276 Film Form

An introductory-level lecture course designed to introduce students to the formal issues involved in the production and perception of moving images. The course provides students with an understanding of aesthetic concepts that support the making of films, digital cinema, videos or video games. It reinforces the use of aesthetic vocabulary and demonstrates how audiences interact with, and are manipulated by, film language and syntax. Therefore, the course is useful for students who wish to enhance their skills in the making of films and videos as well as for students who wish to refine their ability to deconstruct motion pictures for critical and analytical purposes.

3

Cross Listed Courses

FILM 220

ARTH 280 Survey of Precolumbian Art: Mesoamerica

An introduction to art and architecture produced by the Precolumbian cultures of Mesoamerica. The course will survey the most important ancient civilizations of Middle America (Olmec, Monte Alban, Teotihuacano, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec) from the earliest complex settlements to the time of the Spanish conquest.

3

ARTH 290 Art History Abroad

An introduction to the history of art that examines a specific geographical area and chronological span during a study abroad experience. The course provides the student a thorough grounding in the major art works and artists involved, adding the concrete dimension of direct observation and personal experience of the places and motifs that informed various movements. The two to three week study/travel abroad includes readings, discussion, a daily journal, and a written interpretation of themes and ideas in art.

.5-3

ARTH 310 Ancient Art

A thematic or topical course on the art of the Mediterranean basin between 3000 BC and 300 AD. Specific course contents will vary and may include Egyptian funerary monuments, Greek and Roman sculpture, and topics such as ritual/magical uses of images, gender and sexuality in representations of the body, and the continuing legacy of the Classical tradition.

3

Prerequisites

ART 115 or ARTH 101

ARTH 311 Medieval Art

A thematic or topical course in European art between 300 and 1400 AD: specific course contents will vary and may include medieval manuscripts, Byzantine icons, Gothic cathedrals, and topics such as the cult of the saints, the lives of medieval women, and interactions with the Islamic world.

3

Prerequisites

ART 115 or ART 226 or ARTH 101 or ARTH 211

ARTH 315 Renaissance Art

A thematic or topical course on European art in the 15th and 16th centuries. Specific course contents will vary and may include early Netherlandish painting, Italian painting and sculpture, early print-making, and topics such as the changing social status of the artist, the impact of European exploration and conquest, and the lives of Renaissance women.

3

Prerequisites

ART 227 or ARTH 102 or ARTH 215

ARTH 318 Baroque Art

Art and architecture of Baroque and Rococo Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, with a focus on Italy, France, the Netherlands, and England.

3

Prerequisites

ART 116 or ARTH 102

ARTH 329 Art Since 1945

An in-depth examination of art and related concepts and theories since the mid-20th century.

3

Prerequisites

ART 116 or ART 221 or ARTH 102 or ARTH 225 or ARTH 101

ARTH 345 Film Criticism

The course teaches students how to use qualitative methods in film criticism and analysis. Lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of the critic and the process of criticism. Among the methods taught are narrative criticism, contemporary non-narrative criticism, genre criticism, auteur criticism, evaluating issues when adapting a novel into film, and a method of identifying documentary styles and formulas (established by Eric Barnouw).

3

Prerequisites

ARTH 276 or FILM 220 or COMM 155

ARTH 350 Art History Theory and Methods

An introduction to and examination of the various investigative and interpretive methods used by art historians. The course is divided into two equal parts, the first on traditional methodologies along with their contemporary critiques, and the second on a range of "new" art histories. At the end of the course, students will be both competent in traditional methods and cognizant of contemporary debates within art history as a discipline.

3

Prerequisites

(ART 115 and ART 116) or (ARTH 101 and ARTH 102)

ARTH 351 Readings in Art History

The nature of art history, the themes and ideas it investigates, and readings in some key classic authors, are the main topics of the course.

3

Prerequisites

(ART 115 and ART 116) or (ARTH 101 and ARTH 102)

ARTH 355 Writing About Art

Offers studio art, design and art history majors practical experience in art-related research and writing. Students will be introduced to various methods of scholarly research and critical writing styles related to their individual interests within their major concentration.

3

Prerequisites

(ART 115 and ART 116) or (ARTH 101 and ARTH 102)

ARTH 359 New Media Writing

The course will study writing for new media projects like web sites, CD-based interactive products and video games as well as traditional projects such as films. The course is designed to look at various structures and approaches that emphasize "visual writing". Students will devise, design, and "pitch" a project proposal.

3

ARTH 371 History of Graphic Design

Graphic design from the 19th century to the present with emphasis on European and American sources. Discussion of illustration, photography and the impact of technology in design. Examination of events, ideas, movements, designers and other individuals that have historical significance and influence on contemporary graphic design. Students without prerequisite may enroll with instructor's permission.

3

ARTH 376 Film and Special Effects

Course examines both traditional and contemporary visual effects techniques including the creative and planning processes required for the execution of various types of effects, such as models and miniatures, mattes, composite effects, computer animation, and process projection. Course also provides a forum on the creative problem-solving and planning techniques used by effects makers, including a wide range of kinds of equipment and uses.

3

ARTH 380 Topics: Ancient Mesoamerican Art

A thematic or topical course on the art of Ancient Mesoamerica. Specific course content will vary and may include focal issues related to art produced by the Olmec, Mixtec, Teotihuacano, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec civilizations. The time frame covered will vary from circa 1500 BCE to 1500 CE.

3

Prerequisites

(ART 115 and ART 116) or (ARTH 101 and ARTH 102)

ARTH 390 Special Topics: Art History

Selected areas of history of art supplementing the regular program.

1-3

Prerequisites

ART 115 or ART 116 or ARTH 101 or ARTH 102

ARTH 440 Visual Culture

An in-depth examination of 20th and 21st century visual culture and related concepts and theories. The specific period and thematic emphasis of this art history course may vary and include the study of one or more artistic forms such as painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, film, and design.

3

Prerequisites

ART 116 or ART 221 or ARTH 102 or ARTH 225

ARTH 460 Gallery Practicum

The course allows the student firsthand knowledge of the duties involved in operating a gallery. Such duties may include but are not limited to assisting the director in picking a schedule, contacting artists, creating the advertising and mounting the exhibitions. Students may only enroll with instructor's permission.

1-3

ARTH 490 Learning Assistant - Art History

This course is designed for students to become familiar with the instructing process. The student will assist the instructor of an art history course in the classroom throughout the semester. Course work includes attendance at all scheduled classes for the course, assisting students during lab or study sessions as well as taking an active role in classroom critiques, discussions and studio maintenance. Permission of the instructor of the accompanying course is required.

3

ARTH 494 Directed Study: Art History

Directed research in specific areas of art history, stressing depth of inquiry. Subject of study chosen in consultation with department, and students may only enroll with instructor's permission.

1-3

ARTH 495 Independent Study: Art History

Independent research in specific areas of art history, stressing depth of inquiry and development of topic. Subject of study chosen in consultation with department, and students may only enroll with instructor's permission.

1-3

ARTH 497 Research Practicum in Art History

Students work with Art History scholars and/or faculty to assist with on going research projects. Students gain valuable research skills along with insights into the academic professions. Art History majors only and students may enroll with instructor's permission.

1-3

Prerequisites

(ARTH 101 and ARTH 102) or (ART 115 and ART 116)

ARTH 499 Internship

The course allows the student to receive credit for professional experiences related to some aspect of their field of study. Enrollment is to be arranged with an appropriate instructor, by permission only.

1-15