Art History

The Art History Program offers courses ranging from history of art survey courses to upper division courses in Renaissance Art History, Tribal Art and Medieval Art History.

View the Art History Writing Guidelines (PDF)

Many of the survey and upper division courses are taught in Smart Classrooms in the recently renovated Guggenheim Hall. The classrooms feature digital imaging projection equipment and other technology enhancements.

The Senior Portfolio requirement in Art History is completed through a research project in an area of art history and a written paper summarizing results of the project research and demonstrating competence in critical analysis skills.
Courses in Art History are frequently offered during the summer semester including an on-site class at Mesa Verde National Park.

ART 381 Tribal Art (4)
Study the arts, concepts and culture of tribal societies, particularly African, Oceanic/South Seas and American Indian.

ART 382 African Art (4)
Study in detail the major cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa. Focus will be on their religions, political/social organizations and their arts.

ART 383 Pre-Columbian Art (4)
Study the history and arts of Central America, emphasizing the Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Aztec and Toltec civilizations and related subgroups.

ART 385 Medieval Art (4)
A detailed study of 12th, 13th and 14th century European art as it relates to medieval philosophy and its cultural context.

ART 386 Renaissance Art (4)
Study in detail the humanistic aspects of Renaissance art 1265-1600, including the evolutionary developments of Mannerism and the beginnings of Baroque art.

ART 387 Artists of Color (3)
Detailed survey of the work of artists of color from the 19th Century through the 20th Century in the United States. Exploration of racial discrimination and stereotyping and the history canon.

ART 389 Contemporary Art (4)
An in-depth study of style characteristics and cultural contexts of modern, late modern and postmodern art.

ART 390 Women Artists (3)
Women Artists is offered on-line and will provide information about artists historically omitted in Western Art. This course will examine social, political, and economic factors affecting women artists from the Middle ages through today.

ART 680 Seminar in Art History (1-4)
Discuss advanced and specialized art historical topics. Take concurrently with 300 level art history course. Subject area determined by subtitle. Repeatable, under different subtitles.

Click here to view Four Year Plan for Art History