Courses

Student drawings on display in the Koch Gallery. ART 130 – Drawing I with Megan Vossler.

Informative Links

Art and Art History

ART 130 - Drawing I

This course is an introduction to fundamental drawing materials and techniques. Students explore a variety of themes and subjects, including still life, architecture, figure drawing, portraiture, and imagination. Formal elements covered include: line, value, volume, space, proportion, perspective, mark-making, and composition. Context for assignments is given through frequent discussion of both historical and contemporary artworks. In group critiques and discussions, we consider composition, representational accuracy, creative expression, content, and intention.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 131 - Ceramics I

This introductory course will provide a supportive studio environment for the exploration of diverse approaches to the ceramic field, ranging from investigation of utilitarian object making to sculptural practice. Techniques and applications for both handbuilding and wheel throwing will be presented. Emphasis is placed on development and understanding of strong three-dimensional forms as well as the relationship with surface decoration. Content-based assignments allow for individual expression through creative problem solving. The course goal is to present students with a historical perspective and the understanding of contemporary ceramics, building an appreciation for the spirit of the handmade object as well as preparing students for upper level self-directed work. Lectures, demonstrations, critiques and gallery/museum visits will supplement studio work. Learning will be assessed primarily through portfolio production and review, along with class participation. Three two-hour periods per week. $100 materials fee is required.

Frequency: Offered every semester.

ART 149 - Introduction to Visual Culture

This course examines material and symbolic practices through myriad visual culture forms, from standards of fine art such as painting and sculpture to mass media including TV, film, advertising, and the Internet. Students will learn different theoretical paradigms and techniques for visual analysis in order to understand how visual culture mediates numerous social, economic, cultural and political relationships. We will investigate these diverse practices through lectures, guest speakers, film, historical art and media and, of course, those proliferating images that define our daily experiences. Offered every Fall.

Frequency: Offered every other fall.

ART 160 - Introduction to Art History I: From Prehistory to the Medieval Period

This course surveys the visual and material culture of Europe, the Middle East and the broader Mediterranean world from prehistory through the late Medieval period, including early Christian, Jewish and Islamic cultures. We consider the artistic and archaeological remains from the Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, Greece, Etruria, Rome, and western Europe from a contextual perspective in order to understand each culture's ideologies, and the diverse social and artistic purposes for which art and architecture was created and used.

Frequency: Every fall.

Cross-Listed as: CLAS 260

ART 161 - Introduction to Art History II: From Renaissance to Modern

This course introduces students to the history of art from Renaissance to Modern Art. The course focuses on the developments in art in Europe and the United States but within a larger global context in order to de-center privileges of Western artistic traditions. The course will introduce students to art periods such as Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and a wide spectrum of modern art movements, including Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Post-Modern Art but always with a critical interpretive lens that reveals deeply entrenched cultural, social, and political hierarchies in the art word and complex relationships between diverse cultures and artistic traditions. This course will provide students with tools how to look at art and interpret meaning in individual works of art.

Frequency: Spring semester.

ART 194 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

ART 210 - Globalization and Contemporary Art

This course will examine the developments of contemporary art beyond traditional centers of gravity in Europe and the United States. Using a series of case studies, it will examine how globalization impacts artistic production in different parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, India, Latin America, Russia, Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. While analyzing a diverse range of artistic practices in these regions, the course will critically explore key discourses around the topic of globalization, including hybridity and diaspora, from post-modern and post-colonial perspectives. No background in art history necessary.

Frequency: Alternate fall semesters.

Cross-Listed as: INTL 210

ART 230 - Color

This studio course introduces the basic principles of color in the visual arts and wider culture. Students explore a range of topics, including the historical uses of color, the psychology of color and the formal elements of color including: value, temperature, color interaction, afterimage and color as a design element. The class will be comprised of a series of small color studies advancing to more involved studio assignments. Some projects will be completed using paint while others will use media chosen by the student. The class will include painting/color demonstrations, color assignments, image presentations, readings, museum visits, individual and group critiques.

Frequency: Spring semester.

ART 233 - Photography I

This course introduces the conceptual, technical, and historical aspects of photography within a fine-arts context. The emphasis throughout is on photography as a creative and expressive medium and will introduce strategies and methods related to this goal through assignments and class activities. Students will learn the foundational aspects of digital photography from manual camera operation to the editing of images through Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Along the way, students will be introduced to the digital workflow, the critique process, and how to take their images from screen to print. Presentations and assigned readings will help students develop the critical and creative skills needed to understand how artistic photographs function in society and culture. $75 materials fee charged for course to cover printer paper and ink. Note: A digital SLR camera is required for this course--students may be able to rent one from the department on a first-come, first-served basis.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 234 - Painting I

An introduction to the studio practice of painting, using oil paint on a variety of supports ranging from paper, board and canvas to non-traditional painting surfaces. Exploration of the practical techniques and mechanics of painting as well as a consideration of content and meaning will be studied. Topics that will be studied include: paint-mixing, color matching, composition, design and a variety of painting styles. Readings and class discussions of historical and contemporary painting practices and issues will develop a visual vocabulary as well as critical/theoretical knowledge to complement technical skills. Lectures, demonstrations, critiques and a gallery/museum visit will supplement studio work.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 235 - Sculpture I

This hands-on studio class serves as an introduction to the rich and diverse field of inquiry we call sculpture. Over the course of the semester we will investigate a variety of concepts, materials, and fabrication methods employed in the realization of sculptural works. Examples of fabrication methods may include basic woodworking techniques, carving, basic sewing techniques, "non-traditional" techniques, and others. The early part of the semester is devoted to brief exercises that introduce materials, processes, techniques, tools/equipment, and ways of thinking/unthinking. The latter part of the semester is devoted to fully realized individual projects. Final projects are self-assigned and self-directed via prompts. In addition to the formal and spatial aspects of the sculptures we create, we will consider their symbolic, sociopolitical, ethical, material, and tactile dimensions. Slide presentations, short readings, critiques, group discussions, and gallery/museum visits supplement our studio research. The goal of this class is to conduct a serious and sustained - yet playful - inquiry into the question of sculpture while nurturing individual expression. This class is appropriate for any and all curious students interested in play, thinking with the hands, and reflecting on the results. $150 materials fee charged.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 236 - Printmaking I

A hands-on introduction to original printmaking in the media of relief, intaglio, lithography and handset type. Included are discussions of esthetics, the impact of printed imagery on society, the political power of prints, printmaking practices from diverse cultures and from around the world. Learn hand printing technologies as well as use of printing presses and tools in the service of developing your ideas in printed form. Trips to local exhibits and museums frame contemporary and historic understanding of the field. Emphasis is on personal expression and appropriate techniques for the content. Students edition one print at the end of the semester to trade in a portfolio with classmates. Students will be required to purchase some class materials from an art store. Contact the instructor directly for more information.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 237 - Foundations of Ceramic Art: The Domestic Object

This studio art course will examine the precarious position of Ceramic art at the intersection of Fine Art, Craft and Design and provide students with the tools and skills to make ceramic objects for daily use. Course content will consider the role of form, function and skill in ceramic art theory and practice, and evaluate how these categories are supportive or unsupportive of artists and makers. Hands-on projects will focus on design, and analysis of three dimensional forms. Students will consider the relationship between pottery and hospitality, food and the vessel in domestic and social life. Readings and discussion will provide historical/cultural context; touching on the American Studio Craft movement, Mingei folk art and the Warren Mackenzie legacy in Minnesota.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 238 - Unconventional Clay

Contemporary Ceramics is an expansive art form. This hands-on studio course will reach beyond functional pottery and examine experimental approaches to working with clay that prioritize content, emotional impact and aesthetic experience. Slab building and solid building techniques will be introduced to provide a deeper understanding of the physical properties of earthenware clay. Students will study the work of key innovators in the field of ceramic sculpture including Peter Voulkos, Jun Kaneko and Arlene Shechet. Slide presentations, group discussions and a field trip will supplement studio work and provide context for deeper understanding of the diverse and expanding field of contemporary Ceramic Art.

Frequency: Alternate years.

ART 239 - 2-D Design

In this foundations course we explore the fundamentals of two-dimensional design through a series of hands-on and digital projects. Topics such as the design process, pattern development and application, typography and branding are explored through both fine-art and commercial design projects. Demonstrations, presentations, and artist talks are included in addition to lab time and class discussions. Students will finish the semester with a sketchbook full of ideas, a self-directed final project, and a well-rounded design portfolio. Software introduced includes Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Three two-hour periods per week.

Frequency: Fall semester.

ART 252 - Gender, Sexualities, and Feminist Visual Culture

This course examines the ways in which gender and sexuality are understood in modern visual culture. It also covers a wide range of feminist approaches in the 20th and 21st century art and as they have been articulated in theory. Students explore social constructions of gender and sexualities, their visible and invisible representation, and discuss the impact of feminism and the changing role of women in society. The course will also cover some of the most recent global feminist trends and new directions in the feminist theory. Feminist work from Africa, India, Asia and Eastern and Central Europe and various marginalized cultural centers in Western Europe and the United States will be addressed.

Frequency: Offered every two years.

Cross-Listed as: WGSS 252

ART 253 - Transnational Surrealism: Art, Photography, and Film

Founded by poets, writers, artists, photographers, and filmmakers in Paris in the early 1920s, Surrealism quickly spread to many corners of the globe. By 1929, when the Surrealist Map of the World was published, France had disappeared, the US and Canada were removed, and the Pacific Ocean became the center of the world. The Surrealists' map drew attention to many other important places in the world -- Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa--where different forms of the Surrealist imaginary flourished, shaping identities and seeking liberation from diverse forms of oppression. Examining art, film, and theoretical perspectives that framed surrealist goals and practices. from the 1920s to the late 1960s, this course will address various topics central to the movement, such as amour fou (mad love), convulsive beauty, the fantastic, the uncanny, madness, black humor, magic andoccult, Négritude, and Afro-Surrealism.

Frequency: Alternate years.

ART 254 - History of Body and Performance Art

This course introduces students to the history of body and performance art and will examine the trajectory of this interdisciplinary art form early 20th century avant-garde practices through contemporary period, examining how performance has become a vehicle to explore identities of gender, sexuality, race and issues of power. The course will address the work of the major artists and theorists of performance, including Antonin Artaud, Marcel Duchamp, Roland Barthes, Michel Foucault, Walter Benjamin, Guy Debord, Judith Butler, Peggy Phelan, Amelia Jones as well as artists such as Allan Kaprow, Marina Abramovic, Ana Mendieta, Adrian Piper, Yves Klein, Yoko Ono, Carolee Schneeman, Joseph Beuys, Coco Fusco, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Forced Entertainment, Wooster Group, Yvonne Rainer, Orlan, and Nick Cave.

Frequency: Offered occasionally.

ART 263 - Modern Art

This course will examine the key developments of the modernist period in visual arts, tracing different avant-garde practices and the key players in art movements such as Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, German Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism as well as Minimalism and Pop Art, and analyze them in the context of philosophical, artistic, social and political developments. These include the catastrophes of World War I and World War II, and the ever-increasing powers of capitalism and mass culture. Throughout the semester, we will look at modernism from multiple perspectives, critically examining its "master narratives" and re-evaluating its various "oversights" with regards to class, ethnicity, race, and gender. We will discuss how the tropes of Orientalism and Primitivism functioned within the modernist discourse and consider tensions between nationalism/ internationalism/cosmopolitanism as well as "avant-garde" and popular/mass culture.

Frequency: Fall semester every other year.

ART 264 - Contemporary Art and Theory

This course focuses on Contemporary Art since 1970 to the present, with special attention to art in the United States during the four three decades. It covers major artists and art movements that shaped the character of contemporary art in the world and addresses sociopolitical and cultural contexts in which they developed. Through selected themes, the course will also explore the relation between contemporary art and critical theory. It will introduce students to the key thinkers and ideas informing debates around contemporary art and aesthetics. The course takes advantage of local museums of contemporary art in the Twin Cities and partially revolves around visits and discussions of current exhibitions at the Walker Art Center, the Mia, the Weisman Art Museum and local galleries.

Frequency: Spring semester, every other year.

Prerequisite(s): ART 149 or ART 160 or ART 161 or permission of instructor.

ART 267 - 3-D Design

This hands-on, studio class serves as an introduction to the fundamentals of organizing forms in three dimensions. Over the course of the semester we will work both independently and collaboratively to solve basic formal and spatial problems encountered in fields such as sculpture, architecture, and industrial design. We will develop a technical working vocabulary and think critically about the formal, spatial, structural, tactile, and ethical dimensions of the forms we create. This class is appropriate for any and all curious students interested in design, thinking with the hands, and reflecting on the creative process. Slide presentations, short readings, critiques, group discussions, and gallery/museum visits will supplement our studio research.

Frequency: Fall semester.

ART 270 - Making Sacred: Religious Images and Spaces in Asia

This course contemplates the definition of Sacred Art and Sacred Space by focusing on religious visual culture in Asia and examining how intangible concepts of the divine have become tangible in art and architecture. To better understand the multilayered functioning of devotional objects and spaces associated with religious doctrines such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintoism, the class will explore foundations in iconography and then compare different religious objects and spaces through concepts such as gender, state power, the body, nature, ritual, the grotesque, and death. To account for the shifting meaning of religious icons over time, the class also reflects on how the significance of religious objects changes in the space of a museum. Ultimately, this course allows us to contemplate the multifaceted ways religious beliefs have been visualized and how these manifestations exemplify systems of cultural exchange in Asia.

Cross-Listed as: ASIA 270

ART 272 - Art of China

This course examines the art and visual culture of China from the Neolithic era to the twenty-first century. Lectures and readings will teach methods of formal visual analysis as well as provide the opportunity for students to think critically about how scholars write the artistic history of the region. Through this class, students will engage with a broad array of media, from jade carvings, Buddhist cave painting, architecture, calligraphy and monumental landscape paintings to ceramics, imperial palaces, and contemporary installations. While examining the intended meanings and functions of these objects and spaces, we will discuss the varied contexts and value systems that have informed visual production in China.

Frequency: Fall semester.

Cross-Listed as: ASIA 272

ART 273 - Art of Japan

This course examines the art, architecture, and visual culture of Japan, spanning a broad temporal frame from the ancient Neolithic era to our own contemporary moment. We will discuss a diverse array of art and architecture from ancient Jomon pottery, Shinto shrines, and print media to Buddhist sculpture, painting practices during World War II, anime (cartoons) and manga (comics). In addition to learning methods of formal visual analysis, students will gain insight into how these works articulated complex artistic, social, economic, political, and religious trends. Through this course, students will develop skills to reflect critically on the production of narratives of Japanese culture, while considering concepts such as tradition, hybridity, value, authority, authenticity, sexuality, commodity flows, nationalism, and militarism.

Frequency: Spring semester only.

Cross-Listed as: ASIA 273

ART 280 - Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt

This course explores the making and function of art and architecture in ancient Egypt along with its socio-economic and political context from pre-dynastic times (ca. 5300 - 3000 BCE) to the Roman era (30 BCE - 391 CE). The lectures and class discussions will focus on concepts of design, representation and aesthetics in Egypt, and explore the uses of art objects and monuments in politics, religion, private and state cults, and burial practices. Addressing topics such as pharaonic ideology, imperialism, gender, and afterlife, this course will help students comprehend the fundamental place of art and visual culture in the creation and sustenance of one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

Frequency: Alternate fall semesters.

ART 281 - Art and Architecture of Ancient Western Asia

This course explores the art and architecture of ancient Western Asia from the earliest agricultural societies in the 10th millennium BCE to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century CE. Within this historical framework the lectures and class discussions will focus on culturally specific concepts of design, representation and aesthetics in ancient Mesopotamia, Iran, Anatolia and Syro-Palestine, and explore their uses in politics, imperialism, burial practices, private rituals and state cults. The lectures will explore topics such as the development of narrative representation, monumental public art, portraiture, small-scale glyptic arts and the design, and production of personal ornaments such as jewelry.

Frequency: Alternate spring semesters.

ART 282 - Art and Architecture of the Islamic World

This course will explore the art and architecture of the Islamic world from the time of the Prophet Mohammed to the 18th century. The lectures and class discussions will focus on culturally specific concepts of design and aesthetics in the vast geography from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Subcontinent, and analyze a variety of genres including architecture, glass, wood and metal working, painting, calligraphy and ceramics in their political and socio-economic contexts. Within these chronological, geographical and typological frameworks, this course will focus on special themes such as patronage, art and politics, figural representation, religious vs. secular art, and the impact of pre-Islamic Near Eastern heritage and Christianity on the development of Islamic forms and styles.

ART 283 - Art and Architecture of Ancient Greece and Rome

This course will survey the art and architecture of ancient Greek and Roman worlds from the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 - 1200 BCE) to Late Antiquity (ca. 5th century CE). The class discussions will focus on concepts of design, representation and aesthetics in Greco-Roman art and architecture, and explore the uses of art objects and monuments in daily life, politics, imperialism, religion, burial practices, private rituals and state cults. The course will examine the developments in artistic forms and practices in their social, economic and historical context, taking into consideration the interaction between Greece and Rome, and the influences from contemporary societies such as the Near East and Egypt.

Frequency: Alternate spring semesters.

Cross-Listed as: CLAS 283

ART 284 - Art and Architecture of Byzantium and Medieval Europe

This course will explore the art and architecture of the medieval Christian world from the time of Constantine the Great (306-337 CE) to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The lectures and class discussions will focus on the role of images and relics in Christianity as well as the developments in sacred and secular architecture across Europe and the Byzantine empire. Special emphasis will be given to certain trends such as the foundation of monasteries, pilgrimage, icon and relic worship, and the emergence of Romanesque and Gothic styles in architecture, which changed the urban and rural topography of the continent.

Frequency: Alternate spring semesters.

ART 285 - Making of Imperial Cities: Babylon, Rome, and Constantinople

From the ancient world to the early modern era, Babylon, Rome and Constantinople served as the centers of great empires, and thus controlled vast demographic, material, intellectual and artistic resources. This course will explore the formation and transformation of these metropolises through centuries. What kind of social, political and economic conditions stimulated their rise? In what ways did their urban layout change through time? What forms of art and architecture defined them as imperial centers? Keeping these main questions in mind, this course will explore the impact of politics, religion and other historically and culturally specific conditions on the formation of the three cities that has inspired Western imagination for millennia.

Frequency: Alternate fall semesters.

ART 294 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

ART 327 - Japanese Art and the (Inter)National Modern

This course addresses the art and visual culture of Japan from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century, a period of Japanese history marked by dramatic cultural, political, and social change. The concepts of 'modernism' and 'modernity' were crucial elements in this change, sparking revolutionary shifts in the conception of art, empire, and identities (both personal and national) in Japan that would persist into the 21st century. Our class will discuss at length the visual arts from the 1850s to 1945, a time that saw foundational cultural, political, and social transformation in Japan as the nation developed from fledgling global power into a ultranationalist military hegemon in Asia; we will also consider artistic practices in the postwar era to understand the "crisis of the modern" that developed in the decades after the war as artists struggled to find their individual and national voices. Drawing on a diverse array of artistic forms and visual media, including painting, prints, sculpture, architecture, fashion, anime (Japanese cartoons), film, and photography, we will explore how themes such as trauma, nationalism, imperialism, war, protest, hybridity, and performativity have intersected with shifting notions of modern artistic and national identities inside and outside Japan.

Frequency: Alternate years.

Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites required; First Years are welcome.

Cross-Listed as: ASIA 327

ART 330 - Figure Drawing

This course explores both the structural and expressive aspects of figure drawing. Students will be introduced to the elements of surface anatomy and structure of the human body through working with nude and clothed models, the skeleton, anatomical texts, and other source material. Confidence, the ability to improvise, and an expressive connection with the figure will be encouraged through exercises that encourage experimentation with gesture and materials. In an in-depth, independent final project, students develop their own personal content related to the figure/body, using the materials and methods of their choice. Discussion of the various issues brought up by representation of the body will be part of our study of both contemporary and historical works of art.

Frequency: Every other academic year.

Prerequisite(s): ART 130 or permission of instructor.

ART 332 - Traditional and Digital Illustration

This course explores techniques and concepts commonly used in illustration for publication and mass media. Studio projects will investigate a variety of illustration categories, including editorial illustration (magazines/newspaper), scientific illustration, and book illustration. Projects will emphasize conceptual problem solving, creative interpretation, clarity of visual communication, and the development of a personal style. Illustration skills are valuable for careers in advertising, publishing, graphic design, product design, animation, fine art, and more. We will meet with professional illustrators working in a variety of specialties throughout the semester. Materials will be both traditional (such as pen and ink, watercolor and gouache on paper) as well as digital tools (Wacom tablets, drawing software). Digital tools will be provided: your own laptop is helpful but not required. No prior experience with these specific materials is necessary.

Frequency: Offered occasionally.

Prerequisite(s): ART 130

ART 333 - Photography II

Building on the tools and techniques learned in the Photography I course, Photography II highlights the material aspect of photography in contemporary art and is designed for self-driven students wanting to pursue a photography-based art project. Alternative processes, professional lighting, and advanced printed and digital display techniques will be explored at length. Students will work toward the production of fine-art photography portfolios and create work for a group exhibition. Class time will consist of material demonstrations, presentations, critiques, field trips, and lab time. $75 materials fee charged for course to cover printing and darkroom costs. Note: A digital SLR camera is required for this course--students may be able to rent one from the department on a first-come, first-served basis.

Frequency: Every year.

Prerequisite(s): ART 233

ART 334 - Figure Painting

This studio art class introduces students to the formal and technical skills needed to represent the human body. Students will learn how to paint the human figure by first studying anatomy and movement and working from the skeleton and models. Portrait painting as well as full-figure painting will be taught. The class will situate figure painting as subject matter within the context of art history and contemporary art and address some of the social debates around representation and identity. Projects will focus on topics such as the psychological body, the political body and the abstracted body. Lectures, demonstrations, critiques and gallery/museum visits will supplement studio work. Three two-hour periods per week.

Frequency: Alternate odd years.

Prerequisite(s): ART 234 or permission of instructor.

ART 350 - Embodiment and Subjectivity in Later Chinese Art

The development of art and identities in China over the last 400 years has been, literally, revolutionary. From the Manchu rule of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and the emergence of the Chinese Republic (1912-1949) to the radical changes at work during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) under Mao Zedong and the appearance of complex reactionary artistic voices since the late 1970s, we have seen the dynamic development of modern subjectivities, evolving cultural connoisseurship, ethnic tensions, new definitions of citizenry, and counter-movements led by cynical agitators. Art and design have played a critical role in these developments, functioning as a formal and symbolic language through which communities and notions of personhood could form. This class draws on themes such as gender, sexuality, militarism, ethnicity, and commodity culture to delve into the rich resonance between the representation of the human figure and the expression of diverse identities. Students will not only learn to look closely at and write critically about a variety of media including paintings, calligraphy, prints, films, posters, performance art, and installations, but will also relate this historical cultural production to contemporaneous artistic, social, and political discourses. In the process, we will complicate notions of "Chinese" art and "Chinese" identity in Asia and on the global stage.

Frequency: Offered occasionally.

Cross-Listed as: ASIA 350

ART 370 - Drawing II

Building on Art 130, this studio course seeks to enlarge the student's visual vocabulary and inventive capacities in drawing. Students develop individual content and explore a wider range of drawing styles and materials, with projects that are more complex and which require sustained independent work. Group discussions, critiques, and visiting artists or field trips are part of the curriculum. The overall theme of the course varies each semester: see the Art and Art History website for current course posters. May be taken up to three times for credit.

Frequency: Once per academic year.

Prerequisite(s): ART 130 or permission of instructor.

ART 371 - Painting II

A continuation of ART 234, expanding both technical and critical/theoretical knowledge through projects which demand the development of each student's individual interests. Required projects will encourage increasing self-direction and development of the students' own artistic vision. Readings will supplement students' critical and theoretical understanding of historical and contemporary art practices. Frequent group discussions and critiques, as well as museum/gallery field trips. Three two-hour periods per week. Offered every other semester.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): ART 234 .

ART 372 - Sculpture II

Sculpture 2 offers a hands-on studio experience that builds on the tools, processes, concepts, and conversations introduced in Sculpture 1. This class supports the development and creation of individually-designed sculptural projects and research, with an emphasis on experimentation and ideation. Students will have the opportunity to explore both contemporary and traditional fabrication methods such as carving, assemblage, mold-making, and casting, and well as engage sculptural concerns such as context and display, materiality, mimesis, and ephemerality. Slide presentations, short readings, critiques, group discussions, and gallery/museum visits supplement our studio research. $150 materials fee charged.

Frequency: Every year.

Prerequisite(s): ART 235

ART 373 - Printmaking II

This course is a continuation of Printmaking I, with the introduction of new techniques appropriate for the content. Advanced printers can explore known media in more depth and learn new processes such as photo polymer relief, laser stencil cuts, collagraphs, pronto plate lithography or photo screenprint. Individually generated concepts are explored with expanded forms such as monoprinting, printing on unusual surfaces, or installation and performance work involving printed components. Trips to local galleries, printshops and museums add depth to understanding the diverse contexts in which contemporary prints are made, as well as the vital role prints play in social movements. In addition to exchanging prints within the class, students research and identify an external opportunity to share their prints. Students will be required to purchase some class materials from an art store. Contact the instructor directly for more information.

Frequency: Every semester.

ART 374 - Ceramics II

This course is for students with a passion for clay! Designed to engage and build on students' previous ceramic experiences, advancing their knowledge, techniques and concepts of contemporary ceramic art. Course content will be both assignment based and self-directed whether created on the wheel or through handbuilding. Through thoughtful discussion, critical examination and evaluation of concepts and ideas the class encourages students to develop a better understanding of their relationship to the rich tradition of ceramics and ceramic sculpture. Students will develop an understanding of glaze and clay materials while also taking on responsibilities for electric, gas and raku kiln firings. Lectures, demonstrations, critiques and gallery/museum visits will supplement studio work. Learning will be assessed primarily through portfolio production and review, along with class participation. May be taken without an introductory class with instructor's review and approval. Can be taken for credit multiple times. Three two-hour periods per week. $100 materials fee is required.

Frequency: Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): ART 131 or approval of instructor.

ART 375 - Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender in American Art

This course provides an introduction to the diversity of twentieth century visual culture of the United States, within the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which it is created. It will analyze the intersection and the social dynamics of race and ethnicity, along with gender and class, and how these shaped the experience of American artists and their audiences at various historical moments during the last century. Studying the work of Native American, African-American, Asian-American, and Latinx-American artists in response to the mainstream US art and culture, will provide students with broad and complex understanding of concepts of race, ethnicity, class, and gender as reflected in artistic production of this marginalized artists and art groups.

Frequency: Offered in the fall every two years.

Prerequisite(s): At least one course in Art History, WGSS or AMST or permission of the instructor.

ART 376 - Word.

This course will explore histories, cultures and artistic practices of combining words and pictures. Semiotics examines sign systems and the notion that all images are texts. The designer Eric Gill declared, "Letters are things, not pictures of things." Words and graphics underlie effective posters of advocacy and protest. The word is sacred in many cultures. We shall comparatively examine the work of artists from many different backgrounds whose projects involve language and apply apt theoretical principles to the making of text-based work. Use of text-generating technologies, digital and manual, including letterpress, stamping, laser cut stencils, pochoir, Risograph, mimeo, texting, calligraphy, and more. Logomaniacs welcome.

Frequency: Spring semester.

ART 380 - Art and Iconoclasm from the Ancient World to Early Modern Era

From ancient Mesopotamia to modern Europe, people attacked, mutilated and smashed images with motivations influenced by religion, politics and other ideological agendas. This course will explore the dynamics of such iconoclastic attacks on images by examining case studies from ancient, medieval and early modern contexts in the Near East, Mediterranean world and Europe. How and why have images been perceived as a threat by monarchs, invading armies or religious zealots? What were the intended outcomes of image destruction? By focusing on these main questions, this course will explore the function and power of images in pre-modern and early modern societies.

Frequency: Alternate spring semesters.

ART 394 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

ART 487 - Art History Methodology Seminar

This course is designed for graduating art history majors and it exposes them to methods and theories of art history, with a particular focus on the transformation of the discipline that began in the 1970s and continues to the present. The course will expose the students to both conventional methods of art historical analysis (style, form, iconography) and to the so called "revisionist" perspectives of "new" art history. The course surveys a wide range of approaches used in the discipline, beginning with writers such as Vasari, Riegl, Panofsky, Gombrich, and ending with the more recent art historical studies informed by Marxism, feminism, and postmodern and postcolonial theories.

Frequency: Spring semester.

Prerequisite(s): Art History seniors only.

ART 488 - Senior Studio Seminar

This course provides a setting in which art studio majors complete their capstone projects, including mounting a professional exhibition of recent work. It provides a look ahead to post-Macalester opportunities and the challenges of graduate school, jobs, and career opportunities in art. Arts professionals make presentations to the class and readings provide theoretical grounding for putting contemporary art in context. Students learn professional practices for studio artists, how to write artist statements, professional resumes and applications for grants, residencies and graduate school. Two three-hour sessions per week.

Frequency: Spring semester.

ART 490 - Art Apprenticeship

This studio apprenticeship is available only to Macalester College graduates. It is a full-time course of study, where the work is divided approximately in half between developing the student's own work and assisting the instructor in the studio. Permission of the instructor is required. May be taken for up to two semesters.

ART 494 - Topics Course

Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.

ART 601 - Tutorial

Supervised individual or small group study with a faculty member in studio or art history allowing the student to explore the field beyond regular course offerings.

Frequency: Every semester.