Course Descriptions

ART 105 Art History I (AH) (1)
Surveys painting, sculpture and architecture with emphasis on the Western world from their origins in prehistory through the Middle Ages. While the focus of the course is on Western traditions, issues and works from non-Western cultures are also treated. The course aims to develop a sense of visual literacy and an iconographic knowledge of art while examining key works in various historical, religious, political, philosophical and socio-cultural contexts.G.Gilbert;

ART 106 Art History II (AH) (1)
Surveys the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Western world from the Renaissance to the present. While the focus of the course is on Western traditions, issues and works from non-Western cultures are also treated. The course aims to develop a sense of visual literacy and an iconographic knowledge of art while examining key works in various historical, religious, political, philosophical and socio-cultural contexts.G.Gilbert;

ART 110 Drawing I (AS) (1)
Drawing is the probity of art, said Ingres. Since drawing is the basis for constructing visual form, ART 110, 210, 310, and 312 constitute an ongoing drawing workshop available to all students every term. Focusing on observation and working primarily from the life model, composition, proportion, space and volume are addressed within a context of contemporary artistic practice and theory. A variety of media including charcoal, ink, and collage are explored. ARTS; Staff

ART 112 Fundamentals of 2-D Design (AS) (1)
An introduction to manipulating two-dimensional visual elements and relationships through both material and digital means. The course explores fundamental concepts and methods that are the basis of design. The goal is to learn how visual relationships function as a vehicle that conveys, expresses, or compels, and to develop a critical awareness of design's pervasive role in shaping values and emotions. ARTS; Staff

ART 113 Painting I (AS) (1)
Explores a variety of approaches and attitudes. Fundamentals of color harmony, shape, and space; two and three-dimensional organization of a painted surface. Projects in still life, figure, landscape, and non-objective painting. Grade is based on work presented at weekly group critiques.ARTS; Staff

ART 114 Photography I (AS) (1)
Includes fundamentals of exposing, developing, printing, and displaying black and white photographs. Group critiques of class work. Students supply camera, film, printing paper, and mounting supplies. Darkroom facilities and processing chemicals are supplied with a lab fee applied. This course focuses on both technical competence and conceptual creativity.ARTS; M.Godsil;

ART 115 Printmaking I (AS) (1)
Projects in intaglio (etching and drypoint) relief printing techniques, monotypes, mixed media prints, book art and collographs. ARTS; T.Gant; L.Lombard;

ART 116 Ceramics I (AS) (1)
An introduction to the material and visual foundations of clay art. The course exposes students to several distinct creative uses of clay, including pottery traditions, sculptural and altered vessels, and hand-building. Emphasis is placed equally on developing material skill and visual understanding. Students produce a portfolio of work reflecting their progress over the term. ARTS; M.Holmes;

ART 117 Sculpture I (AS) (1)
An introductory creative exploration of the ideas and practices of contemporary sculpture. The course broadly exposes students to the material, visual, and conceptual foundations of modern and recent sculpture. Students complete four directed and one independent project with the goal of developing their own understandings and creative interests. ARTS; M.Holmes;

ART 119 Digital Photography I (AS) (1)
Includes fundamentals of composition, proper exposure, and image editing processes. Students may provide a suitable digital camera, or the college will have a limited number of digital cameras for check out. PhotoShop software is used to edit photos, but this is not primarily a course to learn PhotoShop. Weekly group critiques of class work. This course focuses on both technical competence and conceptual creativity. ARTS; Students may not receive credit for both ART 119 and JOUR 119; M.Godsil;

ART 123 History of Architecture (AH) (1)
Surveys world architecture from the Neolithic to the present. Singles out key monuments and architects for special emphasis, e.g., the Parthenon, Alhambra, Chartres Cathedral, Palladio, Borromini, Frank Lloyd Wright. Staff

ART 163 Landscape Painting (AS) (1)
A beginning painting course with a specific emphasis on working from the landscape. Students investigate a variety of approaches when working directly from the landscape or working from memory of a place. Central to the course is Gaston Bachelard's Poetic's of Space, a philosophical study of place - rooms, forests, shells - in the poetic imagination. In conjunction with visual issues such as space color and composition the course will focus on poetic, historical, and psychological experience of place.ARTS; L.Lombard;

ART 202 Greek Art and Architecture (AH) (1)
Greek vase-painting, sculpture, and temple-architecture are surveyed with attention to style and chronology as well as to the political, social, and intellectual contexts in which the works were created. HUM; Cross Listing : CLAS 202; S.Fineberg;

ART 210 Drawing II (AS) (1)
ARTS; Staff

ART 213 Painting II (AS) (1)
ARTS; Prereq : ART 113; L.Lombard; T.Gant;

ART 214 Photography II/Digital Photography II (AS) (1)
Students select one or two photographic projects and explore those in depth. Weekly group critiques of work, and class discussions of assigned readings. Students who have only completed ART 114 will be required to work only in analog black and white film. Students who have only completed ART 119 or JOUR 119 will be required to work only in digital images. Students who have completed both 114 and 119 may work in black and white film or digital or both.ARTS; Prereq : ART 114, ART 119 or JOUR 119, or permission of the instructor; Students may not receive credit for both ART and JOUR 214; M.Godsil;

ART 215 Printmaking II (AS) (1)
ARTS; Prereq : ART 115; T.Gant; L.Lombard;

ART 216 Ceramics II (AS) (1)
ARTS; Prereq : ART 116; M.Holmes;

ART 217 Sculpture II (AS) (1)
ARTS; Prereq : ART 117; M.Holmes;

ART 219 Sculpture From The Figure (AS) (1)
This course will introduce students to making clay sculpture directly from the life model. Students will work on clay sketches, portraits, and sculptures of the entire figure. The practical aspects of armature construction and plaster casting will be explored. Fundamentally, the course will emphasize how principles of rhythm, proportion, volume, gravity, tension and mass create expressive and dynamic form. T.Gant;

ART 221 Native Arts of the Americas: Their History and Cultural Legacy (AH) (1)
Surveys the art of the native peoples of the Americas with a focus on the ancient art of Mesoamerica and the Andes, as well as cultural artifacts of native American Indian peoples. Considers methodological and cultural issues of studying non-Western artistic traditions in conjunction with a critical examination of the cultural legacy of native arts to more recent artistic developments. HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; W; DV; Cross Listing : LAST 221; G.Gilbert;

ART 222 Medieval Art and Architecture (AH) (1)
Early Christian, Byzantine, Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic art and architecture. Shows how Western art emerged and developed under the influence of classical, near eastern and barbarian traditions. HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; W; G.Gilbert;

ART 223 Renaissance Art and Architecture (AH) (1)
European architecture, sculpture, and painting of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Emphasis on such major figures as Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Michelangelo, Van Eyck, Durer, Titian, Gentileschi, and Giotto in the context of pictorial and sculptural form and religious, philosophical and cultural beliefs.HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; L.Lombard;

ART 224 Baroque Art and Architecture (AH) (1)
Seventeenth century European painting, sculpture, and architecture. Special attention is given to major artists such as Bernini, Gentileschi, Poussin, Rubens, and Rembrandt in the context of social, political, cultural and religious trends. Particular emphasis is given to such topics as artistic identity, gender, Baroque theories of visuality, and the role of art in relation to Absolutism.HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; W; G.Gilbert;

ART 225 Nineteenth Century European and American Art and Architecture (AH) (1)
Treats major movements from Neoclassicism to Post-Impressionism and examines artists such as David, Turner, Delacroix, Monet, Cezanne, Rodin, and Van Gogh in the context of political, social, and philosophical trends. HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; W; G.Gilbert;

ART 226 Twentieth Century European and American Art and Architecture (AH) (1)
Emphasis is primarily on European painting, sculpture, and architecture from 1900 to World War II. Special attention is given to major artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky and Mondrian with an emphasis on examining modern aesthetic movements in relation to issues of radical and utopian politics, philosophy, spiritualism, psychological theory, and gender. HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; W; G.Gilbert;

ART 231 African Art History (AH) (1)
Traces the history of African art from ancient Nubia to contemporary work from the Ivory Coast. Encompasses as well the study of ritual, African and western aesthetics and the influences of African art on the art of the West. HUM; DV; Cross Listing : BKST 231; T.Gant;

ART 232 Japan: Art and Idea (AH) (1)
This course provides a general introduction to Japanese art from the prehistoric period through the present day. The development of painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and print media will be examined in light of various socio-political and historical contexts. Select topical themes include: Shinto and Buddhist art and architecture; imperial and feudal court patronage of the arts; the changing status and role of the artist in Japanese society; the utilization of art to construct national identity and the shifting policies and opinions regarding the values of cross-cultural exchange.HUM; Prereq : One course in art history or permission of the instructor; Staff

ART 246 Contemporary American and European Art (AH) (1)
Examines key formal and critical developments from the 1940s to the present within a social context. Considers the relation of late modernism and postmodernism to issues of philosophy, cultural history and politics. HUM; Prereq : ART 105, ART 106, or permission of the instructor; W; G.Gilbert;

ART 247 Knox in New York (ASAH) (1)
Knox in New York is a unique course that combines Studio Art and Art History. It is a Fall Term course that extends into Winter Break. At Knox, students participate in a seminar course that focuses on European and New York artists and art movements from the early 20th century to the present. Students should also take a drawing course in preparation for the intensive drawing classes at the New York Studio School. In New York, students visit galleries and museum collections, present a research project, and attend classes and lectures at the Studio School. In the last week, students return to Knox to resolve a body of work based on their experiences in New York. Prereq : Concurrent registration in ART 310; one 200-level art history course and one 200-level studio art course; or permission of the instructor; The cost of the New York segment is covered by a special program fee; L.Lombard; T.Gant;

ART 248 Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Prereq : Permission of instructor; May be graded S/U at instructor's discretion; Staff

ART 258 Studio Seminar (AS) (1)
Combines creative and analytical approaches in exploring the role of the artist and nature of the creative process. Students experiment with a variety of formal, material and conceptual modes presented through directed studio work, readings and discussion. Creative and intellectual encounters with alternative artistic practices are intended to inform and expand a student's emerging artistic interests. Prereq : sophomore standing, ART 246, and one 200-level studio course except ART 210; Staff

ART 261 American Art, Architecture and Culture (AH) (1)
This course is a selected overview of the history of American art from the late eighteenth century through the mid-twentieth century with an emphasis on art as part of a larger material culture related to political, socio-economic and intellectual trends. A major concern is the contribution of visual culture to the conceptualization of American national identity in light of changing views associated with nature, labor, race, gender and sexuality. A special topical issue is the influence of American Transcendental and Pragmatist philosophy on the development of artistic styles and themes. Prereq : ART 105 or 106, and/or HIST 160 or 161 are recommended; W; Cross Listing : AMST 261; G.Gilbert;

ART 262 Site-Specific Art (AS) (1)
Questions the traditional role of art by taking works outside the studio context and placing them in a public arena. Incorporates performance art, 2-D and 3-D work and installations. Temporary work is installed around campus. Students learn to build preliminary scale models of their proposed projects, as well as procedures necessary for the installation of public works of art. ARTS; Prereq : Any prior art course; T.Gant;

ART 295 Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Art not covered in the usual curriculum.Staff

ART 295C (1)
A directed exploration of alternative modes of drawing, the course borrows its title from Rosalind Krauss' 1978 essay, Sculpture in the Expanded Field. Since the 20th century, 'drawing' has expanded to include a diverse array of mark-making practices relating to language, technology, media, conceptual strategies, and site-specific art. In this course students will explore alternative drawing practices with the goal of expanding their own creative use and understanding of the medium. Prerequisites: ART 110 and an additional 100-level studio art course.

ART 295H (1)
Building on understandings developed in ART 112, students will practice manipulating visual elements and relationships in two-dimensional space using both digital and material methods. Emphasis is placed on solving visual problems by applying principles of formal prioritization, information clarity, and typographic communication. Practice is framed by discussions and readings concerning the influence of design in contemporary culture. Prerequisite: ART 112 or permission of the instructor.

ART 295L (1)
An exploration of a pivotal creative method at the center of both early modern and post-modern artistic practice. Guided projects will promote material, visual, and conceptual innovation from found and appropriated materials, language, and imagery. Creative work will be framed by critical readings and discussions. Prerequisite: one 100-level studio course or permission of the instructor.

ART 295N (1)
The word as visual element has played a formative role in the development of Modern and Post-Modern artistic movements. This course is a creative exploration of the role of typography as visual experience. Beginning with a survey of developments in typographic design and its cultural contexts, projects will focus on typography as abstract visual element, found or vernacular typography, the word as object, and projected typography. The course will be of interest to students of design, poetry, and art. Prerequisites: one 100-level course in Art or permission of the instructor.

ART 310 Drawing III (1)
ART 310-ART 317 Continuing investigations of the methods, concepts and materials of the 200-level courses. Individual development and experimentation are encouraged. ARTS; Staff

ART 312 Continuing Life Drawing (AS) (1/2)
Prereq : ART 210; May be taken three times; L.Lombard; T.Gant;

ART 323 Visual Culture Theory (1)
This course examines the emerging interdisciplinary field of Visual Culture Theory and will introduce students to a study of modern and post-modern discourses on vision and visuality. Drawing from art history, sociology, psychology, film and media studies, Marxism, feminist and post-colonial theory, Visual Culture Theory analyzes the role of visual images in shaping philosophical, cultural, political, racial and sexual notions of identity. The course also investigates the meaning of images in relation to such popular media as photography, film, television, video, animation, advertising, pornography and the digital culture of the web. Cross Listing : FILM 323; G.Gilbert;

ART 326 Curriculum Development and Teaching in Art (K-12) (AS) (1)
An independent study course for Art (K-12) specialists. Students examine art materials, activities and instructional methods appropriate for the K-12 classroom, with an emphasis on elementary. Projects are determined through consultation with art teachers in public schools. Prereq : One 200-level studio art course; Staff

ART 342 Interpreting Works of Art (AH) (1)
An overview of the historiography and methodology of art history. Through comparative analysis of interpretive strategies such as formalism, iconography, Marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, and semiotics, the benefits and limitations of various methodological and theoretical perspectives are considered and debated. HUM; Prereq : previous work in art history or permission of the instructor; W; G.Gilbert;

ART 348 Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)
Prereq : Permission of instructor; May be graded S/U at instructor's discretion; Staff

ART 351 Advanced Inter-Media Studio Workshop (1/2 or 1)
An intensive critique course with the purpose of providing a challenging and supportive creative environment for serious art students to develop their work as artists. Also provides a context for developing the skills of productive critical discourse, familiarization with influential artists and ideas, and continued technical/material learning. Prereq : ART 110 and any 200-level studio course and either an art history or studio seminar course; or permission of the instructor; May be taken up to three times as a substitute for any 300-level studio course; Staff

ART 390 Open Studio (2 to 3)
The culminating experience of the Studio Art major, Open Studio allows seniors to intensively pursue their work in a challenging and supportive creative community. During Winter Term, senior art majors immerse themselves in the studio while spending six hours each week in critical dialogue with a team of faculty members. Weekly meetings with a faculty mentor, studio exercises, and workshops all promote the exploration of new ideas, techniques, and creative directions. Prereq : One credit of ART 351; O; Note: 1 credit of 390 will be graded after the completion of the student's Senior Show.; Staff

ART 395 Special Topics (1/2 or 1)
Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Art not covered in the usual curriculum.Staff

ART 399A Senior Research in Art History (1)
Independent study of a selected topic with a faculty mentor and production of a research paper. The research paper is also presented in the form of a conference talk at a departmental symposium, in which students answer questions from the audience.O; Staff

ART 400 Advanced Studies (1/2 or 1)
See College Honors Program. Staff