Course Description
An introduction to the history of African-American art and visual culture from the colonial era to the present.
Athena Title
African American Art
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Course Objective 1: Communication • Effectively use information technology to find, interpret, evaluate, and use information discerningly • Effectively communicate in diverse settings and groups using written, oral, and visual means • Effectively employ critical thinking skills in written and oral communication Learning Outcome • Locate scholarly sources on African American art • Participate in discussions of reading, and present material on original research • Develop unique interpretations of works from art collections using scholarly written sources Course Objective 2: Analytical Reasoning • Use analytical thinking skills to evaluate information critically Learning Outcome • Visual analysis of art objects to determine historical significance or meanings • Determine appropriate sources of scholarly information for research purposes Course Objective 3: Multicultural Relations within a Global Society • Understand African/African-American culture and traditions, including political, economic, and social challenges affecting people of African descent Learning Outcome • Become knowledgeable about the cultural context of certain African American artists and their places in the historical and contemporary art world
Topical Outline
Week 1 Introduction Week 2 Art, Race, and Representation Week 3 Slavery, Abolition, and Emancipation Week 4 Henry O. Tanner Week 5 Art Patronage and the Harlem Renaissance Week 6 New Negro and the New Deal Week 7 Negro Art and Modernism Week 8 MIDTERM WEEK Week 9 Research Methods Week 10 Post World War II Art Week 11 1960s and 1970s: the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements Week 12 1970s-1980s: Performance and Conceptual Art Movement Week 13 1980s-1990s: Identity Politics Week 14 Contemporary Issues cont'd Week 15 FINAL PROJECTS/Presentations Week 16 FINAL EXAM