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Visual Arts

Students must take a minimum of 18 credit hours for the minor, at least 12 of which must be upper-division hours. Core courses offered by the school may count as lower-division hours toward the appropriate minor.

Students may contact the academic advisor in their major for a list of the courses that satisfy each minor.

Courses that satisfy the Art History minor are listed below.

Students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours from the following courses and are responsible for completing all prerequisite courses.

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One course from this section:

ARTS 2316 Painting Foundations (3 semester hours) This course provides a foundation for painting classes. Emphasis will be placed on color theory and design as they relate to the process of painting. Lectures and discussions will address both the history of painting and current issues in contemporary art. This course will cover an introduction to the materials of painting, color mixing, and the preparation of painting surfaces. (3-0) Y

ARTS 2380 2D Design Foundations (3 semester hours) This course provides a foundation for most 3000-level art courses. The course will introduce the problem of working with color and design, emphasizing either traditional studio or digital processes. Lectures and discussions will relate to both the history of visual art and current issues in contemporary art and design. (3-0) Y

ARTS 2381 3D Design Foundations (3 semester hours) This course provides a foundation for courses in sculpture and installation. Emphasis will be placed on working with the materials of sculpture. Concepts that are relevant to three-dimensional design, such as space, mass, and texture, will be presented in a context that relates to the history of sculpture as well as current issues in contemporary art and design. (3-0) Y

ARTS 2382 Computer Imaging (3 semester hours) Provides introductory experiences in the use of computer software for image making. The methods of digital graphics and photography are presented and applied to problems in art and design. Computer images will be published both in print form and as digital images on the Internet. (3-0) Y

ARTS 2V71 Independent Study in Visual Arts (1-3 semester hours) Independent study under a faculty member’s direction. Signature of instructor on proposed project outline required. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). ([1-3]-0) R

One course from this section:

AHST 2331 Understanding Art (3 semester hours) An investigation into the nature of the visual arts with an emphasis on the issues and ideas that artists explore through their work and how these ideas translate into the artwork. Attention will be given to the interpretation or “reading” of the artwork and how it may relate to society. (3-0) Y

AHST 2390 Topics in Art History (3 semester hours) Subjects will vary from semester to semester. May be repeated as topics vary (9 hours maximum). Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) R

AHST 2V71 Independent Study in Art History (1-3 semester hours) Independent study under a faculty member’s direction. Signature of instructor on proposed project outline required. May be repeated (9 hours maximum). ([1-3]-0) R

AHST 3315 The Art of the Renaissance (3 semester hours) Studies in the art and architecture of Italy and Northern Europe during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Special attention is paid to the role of patronage, the developing self consciousness of the artist, and the importance of new techniques. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

AHST 3316 The Art of the Baroque (3 semester hours) Studies in the art and architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. Emphasis is on the social and religious bases of the baroque styles and on the impact of certain artistic personalities, such as Bernini, Rubens, Velazquez, and Rembrandt. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

AHST 3317 Pioneers of Modern Art (3 semester hours) Focus on the work of the Post Impressionists (Seurat, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Cézanne) and the Symbolists with special emphasis on the artist’s contribution to the discourse of ideas and the crisis of meaning in the late 19th century. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

AHST 3318 Contemporary Art (3 semester hours) An issue oriented class in which a selection of recent developments in art serve to introduce the ideas and aims of postmodernism. Special attention is given to those artists who are concerned with representation and the visual element in social constructs. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

AHST 3319 Twentieth Century European Art: Avant-Garde and Aftermath (3 semester hours) The situation of the European avant garde before and after its explosive center point of World War I. Special emphasis will be given to the breakthrough of abstraction and modernism’s problematic relation to tradition. Prerequisite: Three hours lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

AHST 3320 Art in Historical Context (3 semester hours) Studies in the arts and/or architecture of such eras as ancient Greece and Rome or the 18th and 19th centuries. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

AHST 3324 History of Photography (3 semester hours) Photography, from 1825 to the present, as a study of evolving styles, stressing key turning points and contributing factors and focusing on a background of the modern art movement and the psychology and events of the times. Critical analysis of the work of various photographers will be included. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division AHST coursework or ARTS 1301. (3-0) T

FILM 2332 Understanding Film (3 semester hours) Explores artistic, philosophical, political, and psychological dimensions of the motion picture experience. This course analyzes visual language, cinematic codes, and the ways that films can embody or criticize popular ideas and attitudes. Emphasis may be on film analysis, film compared to the other arts, the functions of art, films as artifacts, the relationship between the filmmakers and the film, the filmmakers and society, or theories of film production and reception. (3-0) Y

FILM 2V71 Independent Study in Film (1-3 semester hours) Independent study under a faculty member’s direction. Signature of instructor on proposed project outline required. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). ([1 3] 0) R

FILM 3321 Film in Historical Context (3 semester hours) Films in history and as history. Historical studies of major films, genres, and movements from the silent era to the present. Topics may include the history of documentary, fiction, or experimental film and video; film genres such as the western, the horror film, or the melodrama viewed in a historical context. Courses on film movements focus on a national cinema at a specific time (such as German Expressionism, Soviet Socialist Realism, Italian Neo Realism, or French New Wave). May be repeated for credit as topics vary (9 hours maximum). Prerequisite: FILM 2332 or equivalent. (3-0) Y

FILM 3325 Film Authorship (3 semester hours) Film history focused through one to two directors per course, from the directors’ early efforts through the final films they directed. Lectures, discussions, and film screenings are designed to explore films as part of cultural history, cinema history, and the history of criticism, including various theories about the nature of film authorship. May be repeated for credit as directors vary (6 hours maximum). Prerequisite: FILM 2332 or equivalent. (3-0) T

FILM 3326 Imagined Worlds: Science Fiction and Horror Films (3 semester hours) A study of science fiction and horror films in their historical contexts. The course will trace the formal and aesthetic development of these films within particular national schools of cinema and will evaluate the effect of these films on their national audiences. Prerequisite: FILM 2332 or equivalent. (3-0) T

FILM 3342 Topics in Film (3 semester hours) Explores the changing nature, practices, and principles of film. Topics may focus on the varied nature of the collaborative filmmaking process, the rise of cinema as a public entertainment, thematic issues, or relationships between film and social change. Sections may be devoted to independent cinema, contemporary international cinema, or aspects of filmmaking such as scriptwriting. May be repeated for credit as topics vary (9 hours maximum). Prerequisite: FILM 2332 or equivalent. (3-0) R

Four courses from this section:

ARTS 3311 Theory and Practice of Visual Arts (3 semester hours) This studio art course provides a context for the creation, discussion and critique of visual art. The course aims to fuse engagement in artistic production with reflection on theoretical and socio-cultural issues relevant to contemporary art practices. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. (3-0) T

ARTS 3340 Topics in Studio Art (3 semester hours) A study of fundamental principles and basic techniques of different media in the visual arts. Sections may be devoted exclusively to sculpture,photography, computer imaging, or painting. May be repeated for credit as topics vary (9 hours maximum). Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. (3-0) T

ARTS 3363 Design (3 semester hours) Explores concepts and techniques in design including color theory, composition, and 2D and 3D- design. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) T

ARTS 3365 Drawing (3 semester hours) An investigation of the principles and techniques involved in the drawing process. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 3368 Mixed Media (3 semester hours) An investigation of the interaction and combination of several traditional visual media using techniques derived from 2D and 3D dimensional studio arts. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 3369 Painting (3 semester hours) Explores traditional and nontraditional concepts and techniques of painting and the development of style. Topics may include color theory, two dimensional design, and the nature of representation. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. (3-0) S

ARTS 3371 Black and White Photography (3 semester hours) Investigation of the photographic process and an examination of the various levels on which meaning is constructed, including selection of subject matter, concern for aesthetics, and socio cultural context. Instruction in camera techniques will emphasize 35mm photography. Darkroom processes may include traditional or experimental photographic printing methods. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 3372 Color Photography (3 semester hours) Investigation of the color photographic process from conceptual, aesthetic, and technical perspectives. Instruction in camera techniques will emphasize exposure of color negative or color transparency film. Darkroom techniques will include the printing of enlargements from color negative film. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 3373 Printmaking (3 semester hours) Explores traditional and nontraditional techniques of printmaking through the various topics of screen printing, etching, woodcut, collagraph, or monoprint. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) T

ARTS 3374 Technical Photography (3 semester hours) Introduces students to a variety of professional opportunities in photography and related fields through hands-on practice, workshops, demonstrations, and lectures. The course will emphasize technical aspects of photography such as darkroom operation, studio and location lighting techniques, and commercial photography applications. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) S

ARTS 3375 Sculpture (3 semester hours) Explores the traditional and nontraditional techniques of three dimensional work in wood, clay, metal, plastics, fiber, stone. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 3376 Time Based Art (3 semester hours) Exploration of the conceptual demands inherent in the creation of time based visual art. Topics may include computer animation, video processes, interactive visual arts, and the potential of narrative models. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 3377 Digital Photography (3 semester hours) Explores digital photographic processes, with an emphasis on contemporary issues in art and technology. Course includes instruction in camera operation, lighting, image editing software, and output to web and print. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) T

ARTS 3380 Intermediate Computer Imaging (3 semester hours) Explores the application of the computer to the visual arts. The course will explore techniques necessary for still imaging, kinetic or animated imaging, and programming for interactive artworks. Topics include the history of the computer arts, questions of critical evaluation in this developing medium, and its relationship to more traditional forms of visual expression. Prerequisite: Three hours of lower-division studio art coursework. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) T

ARTS 4308 Image/Text (3 semester hours) An exploration of the visual possibilities inherent in the art of the text. Topics may include an investigation of techniques derived from bookmaking, printmaking, photography, computer imaging, or related media that foster the transformation and combination of words and images. The problem of creating text for presentation in a visual environment will be examined. Prerequisite: A 3000-level studio art course in an appropriate medium or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) T

ARTS 4368 Advanced Visual Arts (3 semester hours) May focus on advanced explorations in a specific medium, such as printing, photography, drawing, sculpture, or video. An emphasis may be placed on particular themes, such as narrative or collaboration, or genres, such as landscape or portraiture, or advanced technical processes. Prerequisite: A 3000 level course in an appropriate medium or permission of instructor). May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) T

ARTS 4372 Advanced Photography (3 semester hours) Explores advanced concepts relating to contemporary artistic and photographic practice, with special emphasis placed on portfolio development. Instruction in camera techniques will emphasize 35mm format or large-format (view-camera) photography. Prerequisite: A 3000-level studio art course in an appropriate medium or permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit (6 hours maximum). (3-0) Y

ARTS 4399 Senior Honors in Visual Arts (3 semester hours) Intended for students conducting independent research for honors theses or projects. Signature of instructor on proposed project outline required. (3-0) R

ARTS 4V71 Independent Study in Visual Arts (1-3 semester hours) Independent study under a faculty member’s direction. Signature of instructor on proposed project outline required. May be repeated for credit (9 hours maximum). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and completion of all lower-division requirements in AP and permission of the instructor required. ([1 3] 0) R

For additional information, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies.