COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will explore the history of American art from colonial times to the present. We will examine American painting, sculpture, architecture, and crafts within their historical, political and socio-cultural background. You will learn to identify works by pivotal artists, recognize techniques and formal visual elements, and critically analyze artwork within its contextual framework.

Wayne Craven, American Art: History and Culture

Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art

Both are available at the City College of San Francisco Bookstore (new window), as well as through the publishers or online vendors.

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.

Course Syllabus (new window)

Course Materials (new window)

Course Policies (new window)

Important Student CCSFmail Account Information
City College will only use student CCSFmail accounts for official messages. An account has been created for you. If you lost your password or need to reset it you may do so in your Web Stars account. A link to the login page for your CCSFmail account is located here. Make certain that you bookmark the URL as you will not be able to access CCSFmail through the standard Gmail login. IMPORTANT: If you rarely check your CCSFmail, please set up forwarding. Otherwise you will miss important emails from the college and from me. You are responsible for receiving and responding to these messages in a timely manner . Click here for information about forwarding your CCSFmail.

Things to Do (after enrolling in the course)

• Contact me BY THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEMESTER

You must contact me by email janet.carpenter@mail.ccsf.edu in order for you to receive important course information. If you have not emailed me by the deadline above, you may be dropped and replaced by another student on a waitlist. 

• Log On on the first day of the semester or by 48 (weekday) hours after you add the class (whichever is later).

The course will be available the first day of the semester. You must log on at http://insight.ccsf.edu (new window) on the first day (please contact me if you experience technical problems or if you are unable to log on for any reason). 

Important to Note

This course is entirely online. There are no on-campus sessions.  However, one or more assignments will require that you visit the de Young Museum (new window] in San Francisco (or other American art collection in your local region if you do not reside in the San Francisco Bay Area).  Museum visits will be scheduled at your convenience.  I will provide more information about this after you enroll.

• The course content will not be available until the first week of the semester.

  After the course start date, I will release new content each week, with assignments due at the end of most weeks.  Please access the course syllabus for the complete semester schedule.

• This is NOT a self-paced course.

• The Orientation for this course is online content that will be available for you to read during Week One of the course. You are not required to come to campus for this course.

Online Course Information

General information is available now at http://insight.ccsf.edu, but you will not be able to log in to the course before the first day of the semester. CCSF will email login information to your CCSF Gmail address by the first day of the semester.

Additional Information on Learning Online

I strongly recommend that you visit CCSF Distance Education (new window) to prepare for learning online.  There you will find information on:

1. Minimum hardware and software requirements

2. FAQs about distance learning

3. Links to DSPS and CCSF resources

4. A short self-evaluation that you can use to decide if online learning is right for you

Important Information for Online Students with Disabilities:

Students who need academic accommodations should request them from the (new window) 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.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!