Art Appreciation

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to the various reasons humans create, experience, and interact with art. This includes understanding art disciplines (painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking, photography, graphic design, etc.). Students develop an appreciation for the arts and an awareness of the contributions artists have made to society historically and within contemporary contexts. Through discussion, lectures, readings, and projects students will thematically explore relationships between artistic processes and daily life. Students will respond to the ideas presented by the Professor through art projects, discussions, and short writing assignments. While the course approaches art through a critical lens, the discourse will result from the various backgrounds and academic studies of the students and not necessarily from their knowledge of art nor artistic skill. In this manner, the course is a relevant complement to their general education. In short, the goal of the course is for students to understand art as a means to critically engage and understand their visual surroundings.