Instructor: Janet Carpenter

Office: A104 (Creative Arts Building, Ocean Campus)

Address: 50 Phelan Avenue, Box V14, San Francisco, CA 94112

Phone: (415) 452-7267 (Voicemail)

Fax: (415) 239-3131

E-mail: jcarpent@ccsf.edu

Web Page: http://fog.ccsf.edu/jcarpent/Art118mainpage.htm

Office Hours: Wednesdays (except holidays) 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Biography: BA, Art History, Wellesley College; MA, PhD, Art History, University of Kansas. I have taught at City College of San Francisco since 1995. I am also curator of a private collection of modern Chinese art in San Francisco. I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, and gradually moved west, landing in California in 1991. I love to travel, both within the US and to other countries, especially to see art of all kinds.

Course Description: American Art

AMERICAN ART (Art 118) is a history of American art from colonial times to the present. Painting, sculpture, architecture, and crafts will be examined within their historical, political and socio-cultural background. Students learn to identify works by pivotal artists, recognize techniques and formal visual elements, and critically analyze artwork within its contextual framework.

Prerequisite(s): There are no prerequisites for this course.

MAJOR LEARNING OUTCOMES

When the student has completed the course, s/he will be able to:

1. Distinguish and analyze the variety of techniques and formal visual elements of individual works of art in different media.
2. Define and differentiate the various styles within American Art.
3. Evaluate works of art in relation to the context and historical background in which they were created.
4. Summarize the concepts that define and distinguish the movements and traditions in American Art, and assess their influence on subsequent artistic traditions.
5. Examine and appraise works of art for formal elements and content, and demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast stylistic elements that distinguish aesthetic and cultural trends.

Required Textbooks

(Available at the City College of San Francisco Bookstore (new window) http://www.ccsf.edu/Bookstore)

Wayne Craven, American Art: History and Culture, revised 1st edition (an overview of American art from Colonial America to the present and the historical and cultural context in which it was created)

Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 9th (or earlier) edition (guide to writing many types of art history papers; discusses punctuation, footnotes, bibliographies, etc.)

Course Requirements

1. Reading assignments in the textbooks
2. Articles and other materials accessed through links in the course
3. Post to weekly discussion forums

4. Quizzes
5. Descriptive analysis paper (3-5 pages)
6. Research paper (7-10 pages)

For more information on course requirements, please see Course Policies.

Optional Field Trip

This will be an optional meeting at the M.H. de Young Museum (new window), Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, for assistance from me on the first paper. See the museum's Web site for information on hours and programs.

Special Arrangements

Students who need academic accommodations should request them from the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in the Rosenberg Library, Room 323 on the Ocean Campus. Telephone: 415-452-5481 (V) 415-452-5451 (TDD). DSPS is the campus office responsible for verifying disability-related need for academic accommodations, assessing that need, and planning accommodations in cooperation with students and instructors as needed and consistent with course requirements.