Art

History 72: History of American Art

Fall 2014, Santa Monica College
Section 1078, 8:00-9:20, MW

Room: SCI 153
Section 4013, 6:45-9:50 pm Tuesdays
Room: A214


Professor: Dr. Carolyn Stuart

Office hours W 9:30-10:15 am and by appointment (Art 102A)
Email stuart_carolyn@smc.edu
Course website: eCompanion (syllabus, dropbox)
Blog: www.artstuartc.wordpress.com

*Syllabus is subject to change: any revisions will be posted on eCompanion.
Check eCompanion for assignments at least once a week and when emailed to
do so.

Summary:
Introduction to selected works of American Art from the prior to the pre-conquest
through 1945.

Course Description: Artistic production in North America exhibits many shifts in
style, and we will examine ways in which these shifts are related to their social
and historical context. We will study examples of painting, sculpture, architecture,
photography, and cultural objects from North America from prior to conquest
through the middle of the twentieth century. Themes throughout the course
include the representation of race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, class, and
nationalism. The material covered in this course should give students a good
overall understanding of the art history of the United States.

Learning outcomes:
1. Demonstrate proficiency in analyzing works of art in terms of how formal
elements (like line, color, and space) are used.
2. Strengthen formal, stylistic and iconographical analysis skills. Learn to use these
skills as part of understanding art and its meaning in its social and historical
context.

3. Produce examples from the works studied in class and explain how art was not
only a receptor of culture, society, and environment, but also a participant in its
creation.

Textbooks (required): 1) Framing America: A Social History of American Art, by
Francis K. Pohl, (Third Edition). 2) Reading American Art, eds. Doezema and
Milroy. Both texts are available for purchase at the SMC bookstore. A copy of the
textbook is on reserve at the library.

Other requirements
You must have a paper notebook for this class.
You will need to access eCompanion where I will post announcements, links to
see images shown in class, and detailed instructions for homework and papers.
You will need to learn how to submit assignments using eCompanion.
There will be two required visits to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and
you will need to get there on your own outside of class time. More information
will be provided.

Class Attendance: Attendance at all class meetings is required.
You cannot pass the class if you miss the equivalent of 3 classes during the term.
For the Tuesday night Section #4013 that meets only once-a-week, I consider each
week meeting of the evening class the equivalent of two days of daytime class
meetings. Therefore, since I allow only 3 unexcused absences per term for
weekday classes, in the evening classes after you miss 1.5 classes, you cannot
pass the class.

Late arrivals and early departures are not acceptable, so leave ample time for
transportation. The penalty will be at my discretion--either you will be counted as
absent or your participation grade will be reduced by 1%.
Please conduct yourself as you would in a business environment: on-time
attendance, respect for others, respectful language and personal integrity. Private
conversations with the instructor should be held in office hours, not during class
time.
Here is a link to the Student Code of Conduct (.pdf file, AR 4410):
http://www.smc.edu/StudentServices/StudentJudicialAffairs/Documents/AR4410
.pdf

Drop and Withdrawal Policy:

Aside from the circumstances under which you may be dropped by the instructor,
it is nevertheless your responsibility as a student to withdraw from class if you do
not intend to complete it. Students must NOT expect faculty to initiate
withdrawal procedures for them. If you wish to drop this class, you may do so
through Corsair Connect. Students may process a drop for themselves through
75% of the class, which is through the 12th week in a regular semester. Data
regarding the withdrawal parameters for each class are provided within each
students individual Corsair Connect account.

General information regarding drop dates, withdrawals, and other enrollment
matters may be found at the Admissions section of the SMC website:
http://www.smc.edu/EnrollmentDevelopment/Admissions/Pages/default.aspx

Attendance at Exams:
Attendance at all exams is required without exception. Please plan accordingly. In
case of an emergency (medical or otherwise) proper documentation will need to
be submitted. Any decision regarding the validity of your emergency will be at my
discretion and will be final. If I allow you to schedule a make-up exam, it will be a
harder exam, and your grade for that exam grade will be lowered automatically
by 10%.

Homework:
Written homework will be submitted electronically through eCompanion via the
dropbox tab.

Save your files in this format:
your last name_first name_assignment title
for example, the first assignment is called reflection 1, so a student whose
name is Jane Doe will save her file as Doe_Jane_Reflection1

If you are having difficulty submitting the assignment on eCompanion, as back-up
and proof, send the assignment by email as an attachment file to me by the
deadline via my email (stuart_carolyn@smc.edu). You can then try again later to
submit the assignment on eCompanion, and when it arrives in eCompanion, I will
grade it and have proof that you turned it in on time from the email. Late papers

will be penalized -- the paper grade will be lowered by 5% for every 12 hours after
the deadline.

Homework assignments, reading questions, and writing prompts will be described
and posted online. If you are unable to access a file or webpage, notify me by
email immediately so I can repair the link.

Computer and electronics policy: Laptop computers are NOT permitted, so you
should take notes in a paper notebook. All phones/electronic devices must be
turned off and put away. I will ask you to leave class if I find you texting, checking
email, or surfing the internet. If you must text or call someone, please leave the
classroom and return quietly. If you are expecting an emergency call, please let
me know before class begins that you need to leave your phone in the vibrate
mode.
Academic Honesty: You are responsible for being familiar with the Code of
Academic Conduct in the student handbook
www.smc.edu/StudentServices/StudentJudicialAffairs/Documents/AR4410.pdf
I have a zero tolerance policy. If you are so desperate that you feel the need to
cheat, please talk to me so we can make a plan for your success.

Students with disabilities: In accordance with State and Federal law, academic
rules, policies and practices at Santa Monica College may be modified, as
necessary, to ensure that they do not discriminate, or have the effect of
discriminating, on the basis of disability, against students. The college makes
every effort to make its campus fully accessible to students with disabilities. The
College's Center for Students with Disabilities offers counseling and special
programs to help students. It is your responsibility to request academic
adjustments in a timely manner.
If you qualify for any special accommodations due to a disability, you need
to officially process your request through the Disabled Students Programs and
Services (DSPS) office as close to the beginning of the semester as possible. If you
believe you have a learning disability that has not yet been documented, please
see me and make an appointment at the DSPS office for assistance. The DSPS
office is located in the Admissions/Student Services Complex, Room 101, and the
phone numbers are (310) 434-4265 and (310) 434-4273 (TDD). The procedure for
seeking an adjustment is outlined at the Student Disability Resources website.
http://www.smc.edu/StudentServices/DisabilityResources/Pages/default.aspx

Scheduling of accommodated exams will be arranged on a case-by-case

basis through DSPS. Requests should be made as soon as possible because the
schedule fills up quickly.
Grade components:
Midterm exam
Final exam
Participation (in class)
Homework and quizzes
Paper (3 pages)
Museum assignment(Part I & II)

15%
20%
15%
25%
15%
10%

Total

100%

GRADING SCALE:

A
B

90-100%
80-89.9%

C
D

70-79.9%
60-69.9%

Below 60%

Superior. Mastery beyond course requirements

Above average. Consistent progress; meets all
course requirements
Average. Meets basic course requirements
Below average; partial fulfillment of requirements;
minimal effort and progress
Fails to meet minimum course standards

Extra credit:
No extra credit is offered, but revisions that significantly improve assignments
may be taken into consideration if you get my advance permission. Do not ask for
any other type of extra creditno exceptions.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS
--Your role is to come to the lecture prepared. Read the assigned material
before the lecture and to be ready to participate in class discussion. The content
of this course may require you to re-read material in order to grasp the concepts.

--I encourage you to ask questions. The only wrong question is an unasked
question.

--Never miss class; take advantage of this valuable and productive learning time.
Missing class will leave huge gaps and may leave you like a ship adrift in the fog.

Take good notes, participate in class, and always ask when you are confused. Stay
awake and aware. You can bring a snack for the 15 minute break to re-energize.

--See me during office hours because I am here to help you succeed in this class
and learn.

--Study your notes immediately after each class session and review them often.

--You might want to form a study group. Some students thrive when they learn
together and it can be more fun.


Major Deadlines:
When class will be missed, or an assignment will not be ready on time, contact me as
soon as possible, preferably in advance.

Exams: Week 6 (M morning, Oct 6 or Tu night, Oct 7) and Finals Week (For
Section 1078, Wednesday, December 17, 8:00 am and for Section 4013, Tuesday,
December 16, 6:45 pm. (Final Exam held in regular classroom)
Museum project (2 parts): Part I due Friday, Oct. 24th , Part II due Sunday,
November 30th (online, before midnight)
Paper: Friday, December 5th (online, before midnight)

Exam format:
Vocabulary (multiple-choice)
Slide Identification---artist, title, date (multiple-choice)
Short answer questions--- For example: What is the significance of this work of
art? What style is it in? What is its historical context?
Comparison Essay (thematic)

AHIS72 Fall 2014 Schedule of Classes and Reading
(Complete the weeks reading before class-time)
Tentative reading schedulecheck eCompanion for the most accurate
reading requirements and assignments.
Sources:
1. Framing America: A Social History of American Art, by Francis K. Pohl (3rd
edition) (Pohl)

2. Anthology indicates reading selections from the anthology edited by

Marianne Doezema Reading American Art.
3. Internet: See link provided online at eCompanion

Plan ahead! I have included the number of pages to read in parenthesis.

Part 1: Pre-colonial America, Colonial America, The Young Nation
Week
Reading (total pages) and homework
1
Pohl pp. 15-27 (12) (Pre-Conquest), pp.54-58 (Mississippian), and pp. 28-32
(begins
(Pueblo)
Sept 2)

Internet (see links on eCompanion webliography tab): Read
Understanding Formal Analysis, watch videos on Cahokia mounds and
Poverty Point

Homework (due online, Friday, before midnight): Write a reflection
(prompt online) and submit through eCompanion with a photo of yourself
(like a drivers license headshot where I can see your face clearly). Prompt
available on eCompanion under the Doc Sharing tab.
2
Pohl, pp.
(begins
27-28 (Northern Territories of New Spain), 32-46 (New Spain), 46-54 (New
Sept 8)
France), 59-63 (Protestant America)
Anthology: Read Wayne Craven, The Seventeenth Century New England
Mercantile Image: Social Content and Style in the Freake Portraits, pp. 1-
11 (10)
Due Friday by midnight (Written homework): Choose an image or work of
art that you think is somehow very American. Write a formal analysis
(description) (150 words) Explain why you chose this image or artwork (150
words). Include a copy of the image with your electronic submission.

3
Pohl, 63-69 (Dutch and British Colonies)
(begins

Sept 15)
Due Friday by midnight (Written homework): Answer questions about
essay by Wayne Craven, The Seventeenth Century New England
Mercantile Image: Social Content and Style in the Freake Portraits, pp. 1-
11 (10)
4
Anthology: Read Paul Staiti, Character and Class: The Portraits of John

(begins
Sept 22)

5
(Begins
Sept 29)

6
(Begins
Oct 6)

Singleton Copley, pp. 12-37 (25), pp. 69-74 Aristocratic Pretensions in the
South, 75-85.5 Foreign Wars and domestic Unrest,

Due Friday by midnight (Written homework): Answer questions about
essay by Staiti.
Pohl, 87-105 (Revolution and its Aftermath, The Federal Period) , 110-121
(Architecture of Discipline, Nationhood and Native Americans)
Anthology: Reading to be announced
Internet (Into Art Links): Take a virtual tour of Thomas Jeffersons
Monticello

Midterm
Bring 1)a blue or black pen for short answers, 2)a Scantron form 1417 and
pencil
Pohl: 121-136 (Peale and Art in the Young Nation)

Part II: 19th Century Landscape, Native Americans, the Civil War, Gender
7
Anthology: Read Alan Wallach, Thomas Cole and the Aristocracy, 79-108
(Begins
(29)
Oct 13)
Internet (Into Art Links): study image details of Thomas Coles The
Course of Empire
Pohl, 156.5-181 (24)
Answer reading questions on Wallach article (Friday, Oct 17, midnight)
8
Pohl, 181-194 (13)
(Begins
Read Joy S. Kasson, Narratives of the Female Body: The Greek Slave, 163-
Oct 20)
189 (26)
Oct 24th: Part I of museum project due (online by midnight)
9
Pohl, 195-216 (21)
(Begins
Anthology: Read Kirsten P. Buick, The Ideal Works of Edmonia Lewis:
Oct 27)
Invoking and Inverting Autobiography, 190-207 (17)

10
Pohl 216-251 (35)
(Nov 3)
Anthology: Read Kathryn Hight, Doomed to Perish: George Catlins
Depictions of the Mandan, 150-161 (11))
Final Paper Due (Friday, May 2nd)
11
Pohl, 251-274 (23) and 275-296 (21)
(Begins
Homework: Article analysis (Buick and Kasson) --- answer reading questions

Nov 10)
School closed Tuesday, Nov 11, Veterans Day Holiday

12
Anthology: Read Elizabeth Johns, The Gross Clinic, or Portrait of Professor
(Begins
Gross, pp. 232-263 (31)
Nov 17)
Pohl, 297-320 (23)

Part III: Modernism
13
Pohl, 321-344 (23)
(begins Nov Pohl, 344-360 (16) and skim 360-372 (12)
24)
Pohl, 372-392 (20)
Thanksgiving holiday, School closed Thurs and Fri, Nov 27 & 28
Nov 30 (Sunday): Museum project part II due online by midnight
14
Paper due December 5th (see online for instructions)
(Begins Dec Homework: compile study guides for final exam; study flash cards.
1)
15
Pohl, 393-416 (23) and 417-456 (39)
(Begins Dec Homework: turn-in final reflection
8)
Finals Week Final Exam
(Begins Dec For Section 1078, Wednesday, December 17, 8:00 am.
16, Tues.)
For Section 4013, Tuesday, December 16, 6:45 pm.
Final Exam held in regular classroom



*Syllabus is subject to change: any revisions will be posted on eCompanion.
Check eCompanion for assignments at least once a week and when emailed to
do so.

Classmate contact info: Be sure to have contact information for at least 2
students who can inform you of announcements made during a class you missed
and who will share notes if you miss class. You may also decide to form study
groups with classmates.

Name___________________Email_________________Phone________________

Name___________________Email_________________Phone_______________