Why does art matter? Art matters because human beings make—have always made and always will make—images to communicate the great breadth of human experience. And why does the history of art matter? Because without it, the meaning of our forebears’ images—their messages, teachings, gifts—will be lost to us. In this introduction to art, our class will travel through history and across the globe to learn how we humans use painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and other artforms to respond to our circumstances, to solve our problems, to demonstrate our values, and to make beauty from the materials we find around us. (Formerly ART 1; may not receive credit if ART 1 has been completed.)

This course aims to immerse students in three key foundations of film: its history; its artistry; and its interpretation. For the history portion we cover the invention of film through the first widespread use of color (1878 to 1939). For the artistry portion we cover essential technical and formal elements of film-making. For the interpretation portion we cover the conventions and social functions of different film genres. These topics are presented through slide-illustrated lectures and screenings of films (and film clips) from many countries of origin, providing lessons in global approaches to the artform. ARTH 3 is especially appropriate for visual learners.

This course presents a chronological history of the West using iconic artworks that embody the conditions and values of the people who created them. We begin in prehistory, when Cro-Magnons painted the walls of their caves, and end in the late Medieval period, when artists sought ways to give tangible form to God and the heavens. Along the way, we cover visual masterworks by ancient Arabs and Persians of Mesopotamia, northeast Africans and Nilotic peoples in Egypt, and Greeks and Romans in the Mediterranean region. This course is especially appropriate for visual learners. (Formerly ART 4; may not receive credit if ART 4 has been completed.)

This course presents a chronological history of the West using iconic works of art and architecture that embody the conditions and values of the people who created them. We begin as Humanism cleaves the Early Renaissance away from a Medieval mindset, and conclude in recent times, as art is radically redefined by modern and contemporary artists to evocatively reflect our unpredictable, challenging times. This course is especially appropriate for visual learners.

This course presents a chronological history of the 20th- and 21st centuries in the West (and at times, beyond), using iconic artworks that embody the conditions and values of the people who created them. We examine artworks created in a wide variety of media and targeting a broad range of subjects. Our focus is on major movements and influential ideas of this period, which—more than any other art historical period—were shaped by women artists, indigenous artists, disasporic artists, and artists of color. This course is especially appropriate for visual learners.

A multicultural survey of American art from 1800 to the present. Special emphasis on art objects created by Native American, Asian American, African American, and Hispanic/Latino artists and artisans. Considers how art objects express the maker’s identity within the specific historical, social, and political circumstances of his or her life. Addresses how male and female artists and artisans from these groups have used various art forms to assert their gender and ethnic identity in response to historical change.

This course offers an overview of the rich visual cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Our focus is on perspectives, philosophies, and aesthetics developed before and/or outside the European tradition, thereby providing students visual and intellectual lessons from civilizations with distinctive and exceptional non-white worldviews. Each unit of study addresses a non-Western civilization’s visual cultures and the aesthetics associated with that civilization’s periods/kingdoms, religions, and favored art types. This course is especially appropriate for visual learners.

A broad chronological survey of photography from its invention to the present. Considers the medium's dual role as technology and art. Addresses a multiplicity of photographic themes and purposes. Considers the intersections of photography and technology, history, art, and everyday life.