Courses

An introduction to the principles of two-dimensional design and color theory and their use as tools for effective visual communication. (3 Units)

This course functions as the introductory drawing course for Art majors and minors. In it, the perceptual and technical skills, and the basic media of drawing are introduced and exercised. Drawing as a historic art form is studied and used to develop a sophisticated awareness of its current expressive potential. Credit cannot be earned for ART 204 and 208. (4 Units)

Basic elements of sculpture. Creating forms in clay, plaster, paper, and multi-media techniques. (3 Units)

This course will introduce you to the major monuments of art and architecture across the globe beginning with prehistoric civilizations and ending with medieval societies. As a survey, we will be covering a wide range of objects, concepts, terms, chronology, and geography. (3 Units)

This course will introduce you to the major monuments of art and architecture across the globe beginning with medieval societies and ending with the modern world. As a survey, we will be covering a wide range of objects, concepts, terms, chronology, and geography. (3 Units)

Projects introduce traditional painting methods in oils or acrylic paints. Applied studio work, slide lectures, group discussions, and field trips are possible. Prerequisite: ARTS2010 (4 Units)

This is an introduction to the essential computer software tools used in the modern production of information society, with a focus on the workflow and productions native to design oriented tasks utilized in design and allied design professions. Students will be introduced to foundational design software applications - including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign - and will be introduced to other workflow applications such as word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, databases, and email. Project based learning activities will provide hands-on experiences for student to practice and apply skills to real-world situations. (0 Units)

This is an introduction to the essential computer software tools used in the modern production of information society, with a focus on the workflow and productions native to design oriented tasks utilized in design and allied design professions. Students will be introduced to foundational design software applications - including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign - and will be introduced to other workflow applications such as word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, databases, and email. Project based learning activities will provide hands-on experiences for student to practice and apply skills to real-world situations. (3 Units)

This course will introduce digital painting methods, including conceptualizing, composing, refining, and evaluating digital illustration. Additionally, the course will introduce digital illustration techniques for composition, color, contrast, and value for effective storytelling. Prerequisite: DSGN1010 (4 Units)

An essential course for the serious art student. Projects include multimedia community outreach opportunities; such past projects have been local elementary school murals, public sculptures, and collaborations with other departments on campus. More experimental art processes will also be explored in this class such as indigo dye painting, cyanotypes, and image transfer techniques. Emphasis on developing individual student skills and concepts. Prerequisite: ARTS2010 (4 Units)

This is a combination studio and lecture course that focuses exclusively on issues of color, its aesthetic, symbolic and psychological dimensions, as related to visual expression. This content is applicable to both fine art and design-related fields. Prerequisite: ARTS2010 (4 Units)

This course concentrates on developing a mastery of the two principle means for creating the illusion of space on a two-dimensional surface: arial and linear perspective. Prerequisite: ARTS2040 or ARTS2080 (4 Units)

This course is dedicated to developing facility at rendering the human form in a variety of dry media. The context for this is drawing from live models (clothed), augmented with anatomical drawing exercises. It will also introduce students to the metaphorical and expressive possibilities of the human form. Prerequisite: ARTS2040 (4 Units)

Senior Exhibition provides unit reward for the work art majors perform en route to the creation and mounting of their required thesis exhibit. (3 Units)

This course builds on a foundational understanding of creativity's process and purpose. The aim of the course is for students to apply these foundations to the act of completing interdisciplinary creative projects in context. Prerequisite: DSGN1100 (0 Units)

An introduction to philosophical aesthetics, which has been marginalized and often ignored in philosophical discourse during the past four hundred years. During the last few decades the questions posted by aesthetics have moved back into the center of the philosophical discussion, including the use of the concept by "post-modern" thinkers. The course seeks to bring the student into the longer conversation concerning beauty, "retrieve" important elements that have been lost, and provide a basis for further study. Prerequisite: ARCH2100 (3 Units)

Sculpture II is an expansion of Sculpture I. There will be an emphasis on scale and new materials such as wood, metal, and found object assemblage. A large scale collaborative object for community outreach also gets explored in this class as well as a history in object making and their various functions. Prerequisite: ARTS2250 (4 Units)

Projects further develop skills learned in ART 283 - Painting I. Applied studio work, slide lectures, group discussions, and field trips are possible. Prerequisite: ARTS2830 (4 Units)

The purpose of this course is to enable students to understand the formation and context of various architectural ideas. This course on architectural theory provides students with a means to propose and navigate architectural discourse as a part of their development as architects. Prerequisite: ARCH2420 (3 Units)

A study of the major developments in the visual arts in Europe from David to the first Impressionist show in 1874. Lecture and slides. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

A study of the development of modern painting from the French Impressionist movement to the present day in the United States. Lecture and slides. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

This course critically examines visual art and design on a global scale from 1945 to the present. We will consider art in its broader framework of "visual culture" that includes performance, installation, print media, video, and propaganda. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

The course will examine the pivotal role that the curators play in museums, and the ways in which the expanding art-world functions today. It will introduce students to aspects of museum work, with an emphasis on the role of the fine arts curator and curatorial theory and how this can integrate with becoming a professional arts administrator. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

As an introduction to the ancient Americas, this course will focus on seven major cultures in Mesoamerica (Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya, and Aztec) and Andean South America (Chavn, Moche, and Inca). The course concludes with the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century and a brief analysis of new visual forms produced in response to new social, political, and religious contexts. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

This course covers the development of art in India and Southeast Asia (i.e. Cambodia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Vietnam, and Indonesia) from pre-historic periods to the present. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

This course will focus on women both as the subjects and the creators of art. It will be organized chronologically and thematically. This will involve a historical survey of women artists and their artistic contributions, as well as an examination of the religious, mythological and secular images of women in art. Extensive attention will be given to the creation, modification, and persistence of these images throughout history, due to their respective religious, social, economical, psychological, and intellectual conditions. Prerequisite: ARTS2410 or ARTS2420 (3 Units)

This is a seminar style class in which readings, critique sessions, writing, discussion, peer review, and the making of original artwork are used to discuss topics in art theory. This writing-centered course provides a forum for the exploration of contemporary art theories and practice. The course also examines the role of artists and artmaking in contemporary culture so students must respond critically to the subject matter at hand, analyze the texts and art works, and understand the methods, practices, and materials utilized in the creation of contemporary art. (3 Units)

Projects in Art History topics of current interest not normally covered by established courses. Content variable. (1 Unit min 4 Units max)