Beginning with the era of the colonization of North America by European nations and ending with the 20th century, this course will trace the development of art in the United States.
Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:
- Analyze and consider the influences that helped shape the various art styles by chronologically following the development of art in the United States.
- Recall some major contributions to the world of art by specific American artists, for example, the advent of Abstract Expressionism by Jackson Pollock and the influence of Pop Art and Andy Warhol on our modern day culture.
- Identify major important works of American art such as architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright and Madame X, a painting by John Singer Sargent.
Course Content Outline
- O My America, My New Founde Land
The student will be able to discuss:
The age of colonization by the British and the Spanish - The Republic of Virtue
The student will be able to describe:
The American Revolution-before and after and the effects of Puritan tradition - The Wilderness and the West
The student will be able to analyze:
The reasons for the expansion to the west and the American landscape as national image. - American Renaissance
The student will be able to compare:
The gilded age and the influence of Japonisme and Impressionism - The Gritty Cities
The student will be able to describe:
Civil War and urbanism - Early Modernism
The student will be able to evaluate:
The shift from Paris to New York and the Armory Show - Streamlines and Breadlines
The student will be able to examine:
The Great Depression and the Harlem Renaissance - The Empire of Signs
The student will be able to weigh the effects
After World War II, Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art - The Age of Anxiety
The student will be able to investigate
The unrest of the 60s and contrast the 80s’ art superstars
Department Guidelines
Student assessment will be based on written, oral, and studio projects. There should be a culminating project based on research that can be either written or oral presentation.
PO4 should be assessed: Students will be able to recognize or articulate personal/interpersonal aspects of, or connections between, diverse cultural, social, or political contexts.
PO5 should be assessed: Students will be able to solve problems by gathering, interpreting, combining and/or applying information from multiple sources.