Gallery
Art History
Philosophy
Art history offers a visual perspective from which to examine the history of world cultures and civilizations. Courses examine the history of art production and display focusing on global themes and concerns, such as iconography, patronage, portraiture, gender, the built environment, revolution, religion and the afterlife.
Curriculum
The department offers the BA and MA with a concentration in Art History. Art history classes are divided into lower (100 and 200-level) and upper-division (300 and 400-level) and graduate courses (500-level), which, in turn, are divided into those classified as General Education courses and those geared specifically to art majors. Among lower-division courses, Introduction to Art (101) is a General Education course developed for non-majors. It is topically organized to include the expression of ideas that take different forms in different cultures and eras. The other lower-division courses (201A and B) are required for art majors and examine the history of visual culture produced from some of the most important centers of art production in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe, from prehistoric times to the present. Art 201A and B are also listed as General Education courses for non-majors. Upper-division courses include two that are listed as General Education courses (311, Foundations of Modern Art and 312, Modern Art); these also carry credit for art majors. Additional 300 and 400-level courses focus on specific subjects in art history. Four advanced courses (480T, 481, 511, 512) were designed especially for art history majors and art history graduate students. These courses address a variety of art historical problems and examine special topics. The emphasis in these courses is to hone art historical skills and methodologies, such as stylistic and iconographic analysis, critical thinking, historical research and scholarly writing.
Faculty
- Joanna Roche, Ph.D., Associate Professor, specialization in Contemporary Art
- Elisa Mandell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, specialization in Latin American Art
- Chris Slogar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, specialization in African Art
Students
The students taking art history classes have many different interests, included are those pursuing careers in studio art, art history, and museums and galleries. Together the students represent a large cross-section from the university, all bringing their own interests to the study of art history, but sharing the conviction that art is a meaningful expression of the human experience.
Links
We encourage you to visit The University Academic Catalog to become more familiar with the Art History curriculum as well as the News & Culture section for art department news.