PREREQUISITE: Art 2202 or permission of the instructor

REQUIRED TEXTS:

·         Wayne Craven. American Art: History and Culture. Revised 1^st Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2003. (only the chapters shown in schedule)

·         Maimon, Elaine P., and Janice H. Peritz. .A Writer’s Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. (This is the standard reference manual for writing at UWG, and should be your resource for questions about writing and citation.)

Available in the bookstore (http://www.bookstore.westga.edu/). Assigned readings on the attached schedule. Additional sources will be given as handouts, placed on the website, on Library reserve, or on WebCT Vista. Material presented in class and in PPT videos presupposes that you have completed reading and writing assignments. You should expect to re-read and study texts again, perhaps several times. Text readings supplement lecture and WebCT material.

WebCT Vista: (requires access to the internet with current, fully Java-enabled browser) We will be using WebCT Vista in this course, for the lecture sessions (through PowerPoint (PPT)).  It is highly advisable to work with a DSL or other fast connection. Use a computer lab on campus only if it has sound (and bring your own earphones), as all the online Power Point presentations have audio tracks.  If you have a dial-up connection, you are likely to encounter difficulties since there are lots of large image files associated with both lectures and tests and they will load very slowly (or not at all) if you do not have a network or DSL connection.  To access WebCT Vista go to: http://WebCT.westga.edu/ and go the left option: WebCT Vista - Login. IMPORTANT:  the alternative way to log into Vista, if UWG web is down, is through the address: http://westga.view.usg.edu.  We will have instructions on use of Vista by Jason  or Alicia of the UWG Distance Learning Center/ WebCT Vista staff.  You must use the WebCT Vista site to communicate with me by private e-mail and submit all of your assignments through the Vista site.  If you have difficulties with WebCT Vista connections, you should contact the Distance Hotline at  http://view.usg.edu   1-877-708-2910 -- 24 hour/7days a week help is available there.  Other resources in the UWG Distance Learning Center:  Technical support for WebCT Vista: distance@westga.edu  (replies within 24 hours weekdays) or call the Helpdesk678-839-6248 during their office hours (MF 9-5)  

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An investigation of the roles that  visual culture has played in the United States as Americans used art and architecture as means to situate and identify themselves geographically, culturally, economically, and politically  -- both within their own society and with regard to the world at large. Special emphasis will be placed on the evolution of American visual arts as  responding to changing social, political, and intellectual climate from the pre-Civil War era until the period of World War II.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Through lectures, discussion, film, and writing assignments, we will explore the visual arts of mid-late 19th-early 20th Century America, with emphasis on architecture, architectural decoration, painting, sculpture, and photography.  Structure and content of the  course is designed to help you:

~Identify and discuss the relevance of major artists, artworks, phases of development of American Art of the periods before the Civil War through World War II in class discussion, image study, films, research, and written work

~Develop effective communication skills through writing assignments, online discussions, and presentations

~Express the perceived contributions of American art to modern culture through written analyses of American and select non-American works of art

~Determine what makes an artwork uniquely American and reflective of its history, its people, and its Sense of Place through the writing of a scholarly term project based on independent research and inductive problem solving.

We will examine the art and architecture in terms of cultural, social, and economic influences, examining works in their contexts, as they appeared at various moments, from before the American Civil War to the era of World War II. More specifically, we will examine drawing, painting, prints, architecture, architectural decoration, sculpture, and photography, in terms of style, media, technique, and of the ways in which they evolved. We will investigate the nature of art as a visual language and the ways in which American works reflect a distinctive sense of place and character, as well as the climate for artistic creation which results in a shift of the artistic epicenter from Europe to the US in the 20^th Century. Course requirements presume mastery of the basic vocabulary of form and will call upon your ability to verbalize spatial and artistic concepts, to be demonstrated through exams, written exercises, and a term project, and class discussions.

DEPARTMENTAL GOALS:

In addition to meeting objectives specific to the art of the United States, this course will also address the long-range Departmental goals for Art and Art History by:

• ~Expanding knowledge of art history and promoting thorough understanding of the fundamentals of visual art

• ~Helping students become accomplished in a variety of visual disciplines which might include, but are not limited to, those of art historians, artists, art educators, museum curators, and related professions

• ~Having students learn to make aesthetic judgments concerning their own works of art, as well as those of others

• ~Giving students a clear understanding of how their work fits into the historical and cultural context of Western and non-Western societies

• ~Helping students develop a sensitivity to life in its many forms while possessing the ability to think and to create independently

• ~Clarifying the theory, criticism, and philosophy inherent in great works of art

Writing Across The Curriculum: Please note that this course has a "W" designation, which means it is a Writing Across the Curriculum course. WAC accepts as a guiding principle the idea that writing is valuable tool for learning and communication. Therefore, the writing components of this course are designed to help you to learn the material and to communicate what you have learned. As a WAC course, it demands a variety of informal and formal writing assignments which are intended to stimulate "writing to learn" (WTL) as well as "writing to communicate" (WTC).  Your writing skills will be assessed as part of the evaluation of any written assignments.   These include exams, article reviews, online discussions, the annotated bibliography, and the term project.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING: You are responsible for all assigned readings, for material presented in lectures, for assigned writings, and for term papers. Requirements and guidelines for term projects will be provided. Use of online lecture videos, levels of participation in discussions, and other use of WebCT features are electronically tracked by the system, and this is used as a measure of engagement and effort in determining the grades. Grades will be calculated as follows:

SCHEDULE & READING ASSIGNMENTS: See separate calendar sheets

ONLINE DISCUSSION (WTL/WRC):  There will be discussion topics posted and a discussion room open for your participation.  You will receive up to 4 points for each discussion topic, with a total of 12 points possible for this activity.  Variations in the credit points for discussion contributions are explained in the Discussion Board instruction on WebCT Vista.   For this activity, you will not accumulate extra credit, but your apparent engagement and enthusiasm will result in favorable consideration if you are on the verge of a higher grade when the final tally is made.  Remember that this is a WAC class in your discussions postings, and pay careful attention to your writing.

ARTICLE REVIEWS (WTL/WTC):  You will also write 4 reviews of articles on electronic reserve through the UWG library website.  They will be submitted electronically through WebCT.  This requires that you use MSWord for word-processing.  (If you do not have this, it is available free to students through SITS).  Full Article Review directions will be posted on class website. This fulfills part of your WAC requirement.

SYLLABUS QUIZ:  You are required to take a quiz over the contents of the syllabus and to make 95% on it.  You may re-take it as many times as you like, until you do make the perfect score.  Until this is accomplished, you will not be able to take any of the exams.

EXAMS: Each exam will be in essay format (WTC). Only the Final Exam is cumulative, but you are expected to accrue and retain skills, concepts, and terms throughout the semester, and to consider the concepts examined throughout the course for any works that appear. Exams might include (but may not be limited to) image identifications and analysis or comparison of known or unknown works, themed essays. It is expected that you will make intelligent observations of your own, based upon thoughtful consideration of works seen in class, texts, and lecture material. Please note that the information for your exams should derive  ONLY from your text, the PPTs, and your own thought.  Credit for your answers will be based upon your synthesis of those sources.  Do not go surfing the web for exam answers.  Web information that appears on any exam will result in the grade of 0 (zero) for that exam.    No Makeup Exams Will Be Given.

MUSEUM FIELD TRIP: Tentatively scheduled for September 3rd. We will go to the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. They have a fairly good collection of American works from various periods.  These will be the choices for you to use as subject matter for your term project. I will provide you with a list of acceptable works to take along when you visit the museum, as well as the other guidelines for selection of your work and topic.

TERM PROJECT: You are required to complete a term project – an individual research project on a topic or issue related to American art, centered upon an object currently featured in the High Museum. We will discuss the possibilities for this project and give it further definition. You must follow certain guidelines and specifications, but you will have some latitude in choice, subject to approval. Work submitted for another course will not be acceptable.  Among the possible choices of theme will be that work of art in relationship to other works, or to a cultural or social issue, and the paper/research will revolve around a work you will examine during this visit. It is my hope that you will find a topic for which you have enthusiasm, and that you will pursue it with energy and pleasure. Detailed directions and requirements will be posted.

ANYONE WHO FAILS TO SUBMIT EITHER THE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OR THE TERM PROJECT WILL FAIL THE COURSE. Plagiarism will also result in failure of the course, and will be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. 

ONLINE HONESTY:   There will be a temptation in the online format to copy data verbatim from your texts, the PowerPoint videos, or from online sources.  This will not be tolerated.  What is expected from each student is a personal synthesis of the material presented in texts and online videos.   You will demonstrate the careful consideration of those sources through writing that reflects the information presented there, but shows both your attention to those and your own thought.  Any direct copying from any source without proper citation is plagiarism and will result in a ZERO (0) for the assignment.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: (see http://www.westga.edu/~vpaa/handrev/207) The University has adopted a policy for promoting high ideals and the greatest possible learning for each individual. Improper academic conduct on the part of the student shall be interpreted to mean obtaining and use of information during examination by means other than those permitted by instructor, including supplying such to other students. Also improper is plagiarism, i.e., purchase and use of ghost-written papers and reports, or incorporating into a report, term theme, research paper, or project, ideas and data obtained from another person without credit to the person from whom such information was obtained.  Further, inclusion of published or unpublished writings of another person without noting sources according to scholarly procedures acceptable for the discipline of art history shall be considered plagiarism. The definition of academic misconduct applies equally to improper use of electronic sources of information and opinion. At West Georgia, the student is urged to seek truth and beauty in and for themselves, as well as skills needed for a productive life.  Academic honesty is essential in preserving one's own integrity, that of the institution, and in gaining a true education.  The West Georgia student pledges not to lie, cheat, or steal in the pursuit of his or her studies and is encouraged to report those who do.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: UWG adheres to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need accommodation, contact Disability Student Services at 678-839-6428.

If, at any point, you have questions or problems, be sure to contact me.

I will be happy to consult with you on taking notes, preparing for exams

Come to my office during office hours, or set an appointment,

or contact me by e-mail

Any communication by e-mail must be through the Vista e-mail system

ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION: Despite the online format and its apparent freedom in scheduling, you are still expected to “attend” class by engaging with the online lectures and to participate in discussions.  You are responsible for awareness of any changes of assignment or course schedule announced through the home page or by e-mail. (check your WebCT Vista e-mail EVERY DAY, more often if you have sent me a question) As thorough lecture notes and visual familiarity with images shown are essential to the successful completion of the course, you must pay careful attention to the online lectures. Power Point files will be posted for you to download to your computer and print if you like, for taking notes.

The WebCT Vista system keeps track of every “visit” that you make there, of all discussion readings and contributions, of the times of your assignment submissions, and of your inquiries to the help desk.  Examination of these records helps me to assess your participation in the online venue.

Emanuel Leutze. Washington Crossing the Delaware. 1851. o/c. 12’5"X21’3".

Metropolitan Museum of Art.    Craven 16.13