Art History
Associate Professor Wendy Cox, Assistant Professor Timothy Parker, and Lecturer Cara Armstrong.
The fine arts offer a profound testimony to meaning and significance of the arts to their own and function in a variety of ways: they illuminate the ideas, values, beliefs, manners, and customs of an age; they inform us of how artists interpret and understand the visible world in which they live; they alert us to moral and ethical perspectives which condition the artist's choice and treatment of the subject matter.
Courses in the Fine Arts (FA) explore the history of art, including why and what the artist creates; assess the changing nature and functions of art; probe the relationship of the artist to society; and examine the varied systems of beliefs and values that affect the discipline. All FA courses may be used towards fulfilling the Arts & Humanities General Education
Art History Minor Curriculum Map 2016-2017
All courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
| Select one of the following two courses: | ||
| History/Theory of Architecture I | 3 | |
or FA 221 | History of Visual Arts I: Prehistoric to 1350 | |
| FA 222 | History of Visual Arts II: 1350 to the Modern Era | 3 |
| FA 250 | Topics in Art 1 | 3 |
| FA 250 1 | 3 | |
| FA Elective 3 | 3 | |
| SA 103 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
| or SA 104 | Introduction to Visual Design | |
| Total Cr. | 18 | |
| 1 | FA 250 may be taken more than once, however the title and subject matter of the seminars must be different. |
| 3 | FA 201 and FA 221 may not both be taken for credit as there is significant overlap in the material covered in the two courses). |
Art History Courses
FA 1XX Fine Arts Elective 3 Cr.
FA 201 History/Theory of Architecture I 3 Cr.
This course explores the architecture of different cultures from around the world beginning with the earliest evidence of human habitation and ending with the arrival of the renaissance. It examines the development of domestic, civic, and religious sites, as well as towns and settlements. The course explores major cultural, social, technological, and ideological influences on built environments, as well as examines the history, the context, and the form of notable examples. Three hours of lecture per week. Preference given to architecture majors. Note: Students who successfully complete this course may not take FA 221.
FA 202 History/Theory of Architecture II 3 Cr.
This course explores the architecture of different cultures from around the world focusing on Western architecture from the Renaissance to the 19th century. It examines the development of domestic, civic, and religious sites, as well as towns and settlements. The course explores major cultural, social, and technological influences on built environments, as well as looks at the history, the context, and the form of notable examples. It additionally examines the developing ideologies of prominent practitioners. Three hours of lecture per week. Preference given to Architecture majors.
FA 221 History of Visual Arts I: Prehistoric to 1350 3 Cr.
These courses provide an opportunity to develop an understanding of well-made artifacts by addressing quality or artistic value in terms of form and content. Students are acquainted with the principal periods of Western art by a study of outstanding examples of architecture, sculpture, painting, and the minor arts, ranging from prehistoric times to the present. First semester: formal vocabulary; prehistoric art to the medieval international style. Second semester: Renaissance to the present. Three hours of lecture per week.
FA 222 History of Visual Arts II: 1350 to the Modern Era 3 Cr.
These courses provide an opportunity to develop an understanding of well-made artifacts by addressing quality or artistic value in terms of form and content. Students are acquainted with the principal periods of Western art by a study of outstanding examples of architecture, sculpture, painting, and the minor arts, ranging from prehistoric times to the present. First semester: formal vocabulary; prehistoric art to the medieval international style. Second semester: Renaissance to the present. Three hours of lecture per week.
FA 240 History of American Art 3 Cr.
A survey of American architecture and art from colonial times to the present. Emphasis is placed on the rise and development of the arts in the United States and the changing nature and functions of art in American society. European influences and Native American contributions will be noted. Three hours of lecture per week.
FA 250 Topics in Art 3 Cr.
Topics vary each semester, focusing on past and current issues in art related to historical style, art and the social context, aesthetic theory, tradition and innovation in media, and the role of art and the artist as an agent of communication in our time. This course may be repeated for credit. Three hours of lecture per week.
FA 260 Art Appreciation 3 Cr.
This course is introductory in nature and focuses on varied ways to appreciate art: the role of the viewer, the purposes and functions of art, the creative process, materials and technology available to the artist, the relationship of art to culture Western and non-Western), and issues of art style and meaning. Three hours of lecture per week.
FA 2XX Fine Arts Elective 3 Cr.
FA 308 History/Theory of Artchitectural III 3 Cr.
This course presents a survey of architecture from approximately the mid- eighteenth century through to the early 1930s, focusing on the rise and early development of the modern movement. It integrates the historic aspects of the key examples of architecture and urban design from this era with the theoretical ideas that generated the built form. Included in the course content is a discussion of the new programs, new social/economic/political organizations and new construction materials and methodologies that drove the search for new forms to represent the new ideas of the modern industrialized era. Prerequisite: FA 202. 3 lecture hours.
FA 309 History/Theory of Architectural IV 3 Cr.
This course presents a survey of architecture from approximately the 1930s to the present day focusing on the various evolutionary paths of architectural development, including the codification of the international style and the subsequent challenges to the modern dogma into eras of mid and late modernism, expressionism, nationalism, organicism, brutalism, regionalism, postmodernism, deconstructivist architecture, and into the integration of the digital in design and manufacture of built works. Each evolutionary stance is discussed through analysis of the key works integrating the historic aspects with the theoretical ideas that generated the architectural works. Prerequisite FA 308. 3 hours of lecture.
Studio Arts Courses
SA 103 Introduction to Drawing 3 Cr.
An introduction to drawing, emphasizing articulation of space and pictorial syntax while developing abilities of perception and ways of seeing. Class work is primarily based on observational study. Assigned projects address fundamental and conceptual problems through historical and contemporary artistic practice. Three-hour studio, one-hour lecture per week.
SA 104 Introduction to Visual Design 3 Cr.
An introduction to the language of visual expression, using studio projects to explore the basic principles of visual art and design as a fundamental component of visual communication. Students acquire a working knowledge of visual syntax applicable to the study of art history, popular culture, and the art of composition. Three-hour studio, one-hour lecture per week.
SA 105 Introduction to Painting 3 Cr.
An introduction to the issues of contemporary painting, stressing a beginning command of the conventions of pictorial space, narrative, and the language of color. Students explore painting as a means of communicating ideas through visual symbols and metaphors. Class assignments and individual projects explore technical, conceptual, and historical issues central to the language of painting. Three-hour studio, one-hour lecture per week.
SA 106 Introduction to Printmaking 3 Cr.
An introduction to a diverse range of printmaking media: linocut, woodcut, and screen-printing process. Both color and black-and-white printing methods are explored. Class assignments and individual projects explore technical, conceptual, and historical issues central to the language of printmaking and its connections to contemporary culture. Three-hour studio, one-hour lecture per week.
SA 107 Introduction to Photography 3 Cr.
An introduction to photographic principles as a means of visual communication and its relationship to history and contemporary issues. The class examines the invention and history of photography. A single-lens reflex manual 35mm film camera is required. Three-hour studio, one-hour lecture per week.
SA 200 Intermediate Studio 3 Cr.
This course level is for students pursuing further study in one of the following areas: drawing, design, painting, photography, and printmaking. The focus is on developing more complex levels of thought more thorough incorporation of theory and individual initiative in project content and completion. Only one area of study will be pursued each semester. Can be repeated for credit. Six hours of studio per week. Prerequisite: SA100-level studio in area of study or permission of the instructor.
SA 205 Water Media 3 Cr.
This course examines water media, stressing an advanced command of the conventions of pictorial space, narrative, and the language of color and design. Class assignments and individual projects explore technical, conceptual, contemporary, and historical issues central to water media. Attention is given to each student's unique and expressive handling of the media. Six hours of studio per week. Prerequisite: SA 103 or instructor's permission.
SA 210 The Portrait 3 Cr.
This course explores the perceptual and conceptual means to construct the human face as a way to explore, understand, and portray the human condition. The structure of the head is examined as anatomy and as form. Historical examples are presented and examined as well as contemporary theory of the portrait and self-portrait. Six hours of studio per week. Prerequisite: SA 103, or instructor's permission.
SA 265 Life Drawing 3 Cr.
The course focuses on study and exploration of the human figure using a range of approaches, with emphasis on observation, anatomy, spatial structure, and the use of life drawing as a means to analyze and explore the nature of the human condition. Historical examples ranging from cave painting to contemporary art are presented, researched, and discussed. Six hours of studio per week. Prerequisite: SA 103, or instructor's permission.
SA 299 Life Drawing 3 Cr.
SA 299L Inter Studio: Sketching 0 Cr.
SA 300 Advanced Studio 3 Cr.
This course is for students who have completed SA 100 and SA 200 level courses in their area of study and have a demonstrated ability to be self-directed and self motivated in their purposes and goals. Prior to registration, the student must have an approved outline for their individual course of study. Can be repeated for credit. Six hours of studio per week. Prior to registration, the student must submit in writing, and the instructor must accept, a proposed course of study.