ARH1010: Intro to Art History
T/TH 11:30 AM- 12:45 PM
T/TH 1:00-2:15 PM
Gina Cestaro
gcestaro@uwf.edu
Office: Bldg. 82 Rm 267
Text: Living With Art, 9th Edition, Mark Getlein
Here are 2 web sites where the textbook is available at a discount.
You will not need to bring the text book into class so you can purchase the on-line
version if you prefer.
www.coursesmart.com, www.directtextbook.com
Office hours:
My regular office hours will be:
Tuesdays 2:30 – 3:30 PM; or by appointment.
Course Description:
This course includes an introduction to the history of art and art production through
exploring the works of a wide variety of artists. This class covers work from the The
Middle Ages to the present and spans the globe. Course material will be presented
through a combination of readings, lectures, videos, on campus field trips and through
direct creative experience. There are also several out-of-class internet-based assignments
this semester. These out-of-class work days are clearly marked on the course calendar
and will be announced in class.
Performance Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to do the following:
 Have a meaningful personal experience with art in museums, galleries, and/or
public spaces.
 Interpret, analyze, and evaluate art.
 Investigate and analyze current issues in art.
 Explore and expound upon contemporary and traditional themes in art.
 Understand and explain the use of basic processes and materials utilized in
traditional and contemporary art production.
 Experience some processes used in making art.
________________________________________________________________________
Course Outline:
The following assignments are subject to change.
All assignments and due dates will be announced in class and are listed on the
course calendar.
Tests:
There are no tests in this course.
Readings:
It is expected that you will have read the chapter prior to the lecture. The lecture dates
are listed on the Course Calendar. The Chapters are not always assigned in numerical
order so always double check you are reading the correct chapter at the correct time.
Below is the order in which the chapters will be assigned.
Part One: Introduction
Chapter 2:
What is Art?
Chapter 1:
Living with Art
Chapter 3:
Themes of Art
Part Two: The Vocabulary of Art
Chapter 4:
The Visual Elements
Chapter 5:
Principles of Design
Part Five: Arts in Time
Chapter 9:
Camera & Computer Arts
Chapter 15: Christianity and the Formation of Europe
Chapter 16: The Renaissance
Chapter 17: The 17th & 18th Centuries
Chapter 21: The Modern World: 1800-1945
Chapter 22: From Modern to Postmodern
Chapter 23: Opening Up to the World
Chapter 18: Arts of Islam and of Africa
Chapter 19: Arts of East Asia: India, China & Japan
Chapter 20: Arts of the Pacific & of the Americas
Additional Assignments:
1. UWF Art Gallery Field Trip
2. UWF Japan House Self-guided Field Trip
3. Out-of-class Internet-Based Assignments
_______________________________________________________________________
Course Policies:
Attendance:
Attendance is required and graded. Four absences will lower your grade by one full
letter.
Medical Absences:
If you are absent because of medical reasons you will need to provide a signed and dated
note from a medical professional to avoid incurring an absent mark on my records. The
note must be on official stationary and must state that you were unable to attend class on
the specific date of your absence.
Sports & Military Absences:
If you will not be in class because of sports or military responsibilities you must inform
me in advance of your absence. If your absence from class corresponds to an assignment
due date then you must turn in the work before it’s due.
Writing Assignments:
For each assigned reading and for all additional in and out-of-class projects there will
corresponding short answer or short essay- usually 250-350 words for each essay
question. The questions will be emailed to the student the day the chapter or project is
assigned.
Handing in Assignments:
All written assignments will be emailed to me prior to the start of class on the day they
are due. After you complete the questions copy both the questions and answers and then
email it back to me pasted into the body of a new email message. Do not send the
homework back to me by hitting reply to the group email. Do not send the homework as
an attached document. Attached documents will not be accepted or graded. No handwritten assignments accepted.
NO EXTRA-CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE OFFERED
Grades:
With each returned assignment you will receive both the assignment grade and your
cumulative semester grade. Please follow the progress of your semester grade. In
particular, those of you who have merit-based scholarships that requires a minimum
G.P.A. If your grade falls below your scholarship requirements it is your responsibility
to contact me immediately so we can develop a plan for your success in this course.
Explanation of My Grading System:
I grade based on the following factors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Content
Organization of Content
Grammar, Spelling, Sentence Structure
Word Count
Completion of all Parts of Question
1. Content:
When grading Content I primarily look for two things: Choice of facts/information and
the interpretation or use of the facts/information from the text and related materials.
You will always have more information to choose from than needed for these short
essays. Make sure you always choose the most appropriate facts/information to answer
the question. The most common mistake that students make is to just load a question
with whatever facts/information they come across first. Make sure your essay doesn’t
read as if you threw a bunch of facts at the page and just submitted the ones that stuck!
Second common mistake is to not interpret the facts/information- which is what I mean
by “use of the facts.” A well constructed college level essay isn’t, unless otherwise
indicated, a string of facts lined up. Connect the facts together through interpretation to
create a whole answer in which all of the parts make sense together.
2. Organization of the Content:
When grading the Organization of the Content I primarily look for four things: opening
statement, connecting sentences which progress along a coherent line of reasoning,
closing statement, complete response to all parts of the question
Unless I have indicated otherwise, all of your answers, even the short ones, should be
structured in essay format: introduction, body & conclusion. Because you will primarily
write essays that are only between 200 and 350 words your introduction and conclusion
can be quite short; usually a sentence will due. The most common mistake that students
make is to launch abruptly into the answer without an opening statement and then to end
the essay without making a wrap up statement. The other common mistake is to jump
from fact to fact without making a connection, or worse, to jumble up all the
facts/information skipping around the essay without any discernable order.
Hint: If you just organize the body of your essay by following the order of the parts of
the question, you will have a basic organizational structure for your essay.
3. Grammar, Spelling, & Vocabulary:
This is self-explanatory. Please proof read your answers before submitting them. I am
fair in regards to grammar mistakes but I grade very harshly for spelling mistakes. If you
see squiggly red lines in your essay don’t ignore them!!! Also, do not use vernacular in
your essays, use proper English, no slang words or phrases. In regards to new
vocabulary, you should, whenever appropriate, use as many art terms as possible.
However, make sure that you understand the terms so you can use them properly.
4. Word Count:
The minimum expectation is that you will achieve the word count. After your essay is
graded on the above three aspects 2 points will be deducted if you have not achieved the
required word count; or if you have gone over the word count by more than 50 words.
The word count requirement is there to help you practice writing a thorough but concise
short essay. If you believe you have answered the question in a 100 words but the
requirement for that answer is 250 words then you need to go back and delve deeper into
the answer. On the other hand, if you find that you can’t answer the question without
consistently going over the word count then this a great opportunity for you to practice
your editing skills. If you are over by fifty words then re-read your essay and keep only
the most important statements needed to deliver your answer.
5. Completion of all Parts of Question
Often there are several parts to each essay question. Make sure that you respond to all
aspects. 2 points will be deducted from your essay grade if you have not completely
answered the question.
Hint: Unless I indicate otherwise, you should treat each part of the question with
approximately equal attention. Don’t deplete your word count on one part of the answer
then respond to the other parts with only one or two words. 99% of the time that will be
the wrong way to organize your answer.
Numeric to Letter Grade Conversion Chart
for a 20 point essay
20 =
19 =
18 =
17.5 =
17 =
16 =
A
A
AB+
B
B-
15.5 =
15 =
14 =
13.5 =
13 =
12 =
C+
C
CD+
D
D-
There is no point value for a grade of F
Late Assignments:
With rare exception, no late assignments are accepted.
Classroom Behavior:
1.
Cell phones are turned off. Let me know if you have a rare situation that
requires you to leave your phone on vibrate.
2.
Use of laptops is allowed only in the front row.
3.
If you fall asleep in class you will be asked to leave. If it happens more
than twice your final course grade will be dropped by one full letter grade.
For every other time you are caught sleeping in class you will lose another
letter grade.
Technology: The expectation is that you have some computer experience such as word
processing and web research skills. If you do not, meet with me to devise a plan for your
success in this course.
Scholastic Ethics: Violations of scholastic ethics are considered serious offenses. All
work done for this class, unless properly documented, must be on your own. Failure to
comply with this standard will result in an ‘F’ for the assignment, and possibly an ‘F’ for
the semester.
Links to the Student Life Handbook, the UWF Academic Conduct Statement &
Plagiarism Policy are posted on the UWF web site at:
http://www.uwf.edu/cas/resources_other.cfm
Free Writing Assistance for Students:
The Writing Lab is located in Building 51, Room 157 and is a fantastic resource to find
help with your writing skills. For more information about hours and services go to:
http://uwf.edu/writelab/
Assistance for Students with Special Needs:
Students with special needs who require specific accommodations for examinations or
other course activities should contact the Student Disability Resource Center (SCRC)
(web address: http://www.uwf.edu/SDRC, telephone: 474-2387). SDRC will provide the
student with a letter for the instructor that will specify recommended accommodations for
individual students.
Weather Emergency Information:
In the case of severe weather or other emergency, the campus might be closed and classes
cancelled. Official closures and delays are announced on the UWF website and broadcast
on WUWF-FM.
WUWF-FM (88.1MHz) is the official information source for the university. Any
pertinent information regarding closings, cancellations, and the re-opening of campus
will be broadcast.
In the event that hurricane preparation procedures are initiated, the UWF Home Web
Page and Argus will both provide current information regarding hurricane preparation
procedures, the status of classes and the closing of the university.
Emergency plans for the University of West Florida related to inclement weather are
available on the following UWF web pages:
Information about hurricane preparedness plans is available on the UWF web site:
http://uwfemergency.org/hurricaneprep.cfm.
Information about other emergency procedures is available on the UWF web site:
http://uwfemergency.org/