Courses

We create, facilitate and evaluate art in society

ART MANAGEMENT

Art Management involves studies in exhibition theory and production, with explorations into public history, entrepreneurship, communications and management. Courses include researching and studying exhibition processes and practices in the classroom as well as through hands-on learning opportunities at local art museums and galleries such as the Turchin Center for Visual Art, Blowing Rock Art and History Museum and Smith Gallery. Students seeking this degree take courses in multiple disciplines on campus and complete a learning experience in New York City.

Students gain first hand knowledge working as an intern at museums, performance venues, art centers, artist residencies, government cultural arts departments, arts councils, performing arts organizations, media organizations, and community arts organizations. The internship program (insert link to internship page) sends students beyond Boone into art and cultural institutions throughout North Carolina and across the US and internationally including locations such as Maryland, Oregon, New York, Washington, Florida, Texas, Colorado, South Carolina, California, Illinois, New Mexico, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Morocco, and the UK.

INTRODUCTORY COURSES

Students must complete 15 credits of introductory courses, which involve art making. These courses allow students to explore their creative side, figure out what kinds of materials and processes are interesting to them, understand and work with the elements of art. Students make connections, work with, and learn from other artists.

Our three Foundations courses lay the groundwork for studio courses in specific media areas (metals, fibers, sculpture, printmaking, clay, photography, and painting + drawing), as well as interdisciplinary studio courses. The required Seminar in Art and Visual Culture is broad-based inquiry into the history, theory and practice of visual culture and its relationship to disciplines outside the visual arts.

ART HISTORY

Students study art of particular time period and specific areas including Oceanic, African, Egyptian, Asian and American and giving them a theoretical foundation taught from a global perspective. The art history courses are paired with courses on museum exploration, which examine the role of museums in the art world.

LANGUAGES

Students develop foreign language skills to be able to communicate with people from different cultures. Languages offered at Appalachian State include Arabic, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish. Students may complete language requirements on campus or in study abroad experiences.

MINOR IN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Students in Art Management complete a required Non-Profit Management minor which involves communication, marketing, management, psychology, accounting, global studies and interdisciplinary studies. This program also has an experiential learning component which is either a nonprofit internship or an independent research opportunity. Courses include principles of fundraising, accounting, social media strategies, communications and organizations, principles of marketing, cooperative economics, 9 credit hours must be taken through ASU.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Art Management students are encouraged to be involved in the arts on campus and in the community. Students are in leadership positions and member of Looking Glass Gallery, Plemmons Students Union Art Collection, Appalachian Popular Programming Society (APPS), Art Management Organization (AMO), and The PEEL, Appalachian’s Literature and Arts Review.

Course Descriptions

This list of courses for the major is not a description of degree requirements. For a complete list of courses that fulfill this degree’s requirements, see the Program of Study in the University Bulletin.

Introductory Courses

ART 1001 Foundations I

3 hours

Basic introduction to two-dimensional design emphasizing the structural elements of art, the principles of visual organization, and the psychological effects of visual decision making. Color theory, including schematic uses and historical and psychological aspects, will be explored along with the application of color mixing and color integration. There will be an introduction to the critical and analytical approaches to the visual arts.

ART 1003 Foundations Drawing

3 hours

An introduction to drawing as a primary means of visual investigation. Major class topics include drawing from observation and visualization (drawing from imagination). Class exercises focus on rendering objects, spaces, and the human figure in basic wet and dry media (graphite, charcoal, and ink). Conceptual and process-centered approaches in contemporary drawing will be introduced.

ART 2035 Seminar in Visual Culture

3 hours

Interdisciplinary in nature, this course is a wide ranging examination of visual culture from multiple disciplinary perspectives. By integrating theoretical inquiry with a variety of art making practices, this course will demonstrate that visual culture encompasses a broad range of ideas, materials and processes. Encompassing elements of the traditional fine arts, popular culture, emerging technologies and art world institutions such as museums, galleries and online media, this engagement with visual culture will include analysis of not only the production of images but also their circulation through and modification by various art world institutions.

ART 2104 Digital Imaging

3 hours

This course introduces the student to technical and aesthetic aspects of digital image manipulation for artists and designers.

Prerequisites: ART 1001 and ART 1003.

AND select 3 hours from the following courses.

ART 1002 Foundations II

3 hours

This course is the second half of an introduction to the structural elements of art. It examines the organizational principles of three dimensional design and the study of equipment and materials used in this area of art making. Emphasis is on three-dimensional vocabulary, understanding of sculptural space, the use of hand and power tools, materials manipulation, and processes related to three-dimensional art.

ART 1102 Introduction to Graphic Design

3 hours

This is an introductory level course for students entering the field of graphic design. It involves studio inquiry into the nature of visual communication. The course is structured to foster a personal approach to the design process and the ability to discuss design critically. Topics introduced in the course include typography, symbols, contemporary design practice and the relationship between designer, audience and message. Work produced in this course allows for the discovery of the language, creative problem-solving processes and technologies fundamental to graphic design.

Prerequisites: ART 1001 and ART 1003.

ART 2022 Cultivating Creative Expression Through Visual Art

3 hours

GEN ED: Fine Arts Designation; Integrative Learning Experience (Theme: "Cultivating Creative Expression")

Students will create works of visual art in various media, reflecting on the creative process, the influence of culture, and the dynamic and reciprocal interactions among the artist, instructor, and student.

OR

ART Any 2000 level or higher Studio Art Course

3 hours

Art Management Concentration

ART 3013 Introduction to New York/Washington Art Scene

1 hours

The ASU-NY Loft and/or the Appalachian House in Washington are bases from which visiting groups of students will experience the art museums and galleries in each city. Trips to these cities, organized by art faculty, allow students to gain one semester hour credit. Individual projects are assigned by the instructor leading each trip.

May be repeated for a total of three hours credit.

ART 3112 Art Exhibitions in Contemporary Culture

3 hours

This seminar surveys current practices of exhibiting art in a variety of contexts and cultural institutions including museums, galleries, online and other exhibition sites. Students conduct research on contemporary exhibition practices and take field trips to explore current exhibitions and museum installations.

Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

ART 4012 Exhibitions Practicum

3 hours

This practicum course introduces students to the fundamental principles and practical responsibilities of managing and maintaining art exhibitions. Students gain experience planning, promoting, designing, and installing exhibitions and events in the Catherine J. Smith Gallery.

Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

ART 4900 Internship: Field Experience

(1-12) hours

GEN ED: Capstone Experience

An on-the-job experience with artists, museums, galleries, and other businesses related to the promotion of professions in the arts and cultural sector.

ECO 2030 Principles of Microeconomics

3 hours

GEN ED: Social Science Designation; Liberal Studies Experience

A brief introduction to the study of economics followed by an in-depth analysis of microeconomics, including: the price mechanism and supply and demand analysis; consumer choice; cost and revenue analysis of the firm; market structures; factor markets and income distribution; market failure and the role of government; and current economic problems such as pollution, poverty and discrimination.

And one of the following:

HIS 3570 Public History: An Introduction to the Field

3 hours

An upper-level undergraduate course examining and evaluating the types of work done by public historians. Students will evaluate history as it is presented in exhibits, documentaries, popular culture, and as tourism, among other formats. Students will also be introduced to the interdisciplinary skills and techniques employed by historians and other professionals working in historical agencies, universities, museums and historic sites, preservation, policy research, libraries and archives, cultural resources management, and the National Park Service.

HIS 3576 Education in Museums and Public History Sites

3 hours

This course examines the ways in which museums and other public history sites attempt to reach and educate diverse audiences, and explores how people learn from, and meaningfully engage with, these sites. Students will examine how the field of museum education and theories about learning have historically changed over the years, and will research and analyze the variety of interpretive methods museums use, such as technology, hands-on activities, and curriculum-based activities.

HIS 3600 Selected Topics in Public History

3 hours

Variable content. A systematic examination of a field in public history such as museum studies, archival management, historic preservation, or living history.

Barring duplication of content, a student may repeat the course.

____ Any Seminar or Special Topics course approved by advisor

3 hours

And one of the following:

ENT 3060 Design Thinking and Entrepreneurial Mindset

3 hours

Design Thinking and Entrepreneurial Mindset is an introductory course intended to help students develop creative problem-solving attributes and skills from a multi-stakeholder perspective. Central to this objective is understanding the entrepreneurial mindset and how it can be developed. Building on the entrepreneurial mindset, students will explore the design thinking process and how it can be applied successfully to virtually any organizational setting (e.g., start-up, corporate venturing, social venturing, public sector) to navigate uncertain and ambiguous environments and make a valuable impact.

54 earned hours

MGT 3170 Creativity and Design

3 hours

This course focuses on enhancing individual creativity before engaging in the group process of design thinking. Design thinking is an iterative problem-solving process of discovery, ideation, and implementation that utilizes numerous design-based techniques to gain insight into core drivers of human behavior. Once such awareness is developed it becomes a foundation from which innovative solutions for virtually any type of organizational or business challenge are developed. At the heart of this approach is a deep sensitivity to the needs of people, so that innovations that result from the process are meaningfully used, and lead to positive desired outcomes for individuals, organizations, and society. The course concludes with exploration into organizational factors that impact creativity, as well as individual level strategies that can enable people to be more productive in creative contexts.

Prerequisite: 54 earned hours

Art History Required Courses

ARH 2030 Art from Prehistory to 1400

3 hours

GEN ED: Fine Arts Designation; Liberal Studies Experience

A global survey of art history focusing on the early visual artistic traditions of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas from the dawn of art to 1400. The course examines visual art and art making in religious, social, cultural, and political contexts.

ARH 2130 Art from 1400 to the Present

3 hours

GEN ED: Fine Arts Designation; Liberal Studies Experience

A global survey of art history from 1400 to the present examining the later artistic traditions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. The course focuses on visual art and art making in light of changing social, political, religious, and cultural circumstances.

ARH 4030 Seminar in Art Criticism and Theory

3 hours

GEN ED: Capstone Experience

A seminar in the theory and criticism of art in which leading methods of analysis are examined through readings and discussion. Major emphasis is placed upon the student developing a critical sense of art.

Prerequisites: ART 2030 and ART 2130, or consent of the instructor.

Art History Electives

Select 9 hours. Of which 3 hours must be a course in non-western art and 3 hours must be designated (WID)

ARH 2230 History of Graphic Design

3 hours

A historical survey of visual communication, this course highlights key graphic designers and meta-disciplinary creative thinkers who have shaped significant innovations in the field. Examining relevant artistic, cultural, and technological events provides a context for understanding contemporary graphic design practice.

ARH 3400 Feminist Art and Visual Culture

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course considers feminist art and visual culture from a global perspective, from the 1960s to the present. Specific geographical focus may vary with instructor. Major emphasis is placed on critical reading, writing, and discussion.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor and RC 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3500 Independent Study

1-3 hours

Majors in art may broaden and intensify their program through individual research and involvement in a given area of art.

Prerequisite: Permission of the departmental chair.

ARH 3522 Research Assistant

1-3 hours

A supervised experience in which the student collaborates on a faculty member’s project under the direction of the faculty member. A student may also undertake her/his own research if it is relevant to that of the faculty member. Graded on an S/U basis.

Prerequisite: Declared art major with junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor.

May be repeated for a total credit of six semester hours.

ARH 3530 Selected Topics in Art History

1-3 hours

An opportunity to study a special topic or a combination of topics not otherwise provided for in the art history curriculum. May be repeated for credit when content does not duplicate.

ARH 3600 History of Modern Art

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

A survey of leading movements in modern art from the 1870's to 1945.

Prerequisites: ART 2130 or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3610 Asian Art and Architecture

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course explores the art and architecture of Asia, beginning roughly in the third century BCE and concluding before the modern era, with a focus on painting, sculpture, and architecture. Special attention will be paid to the religious traditions of the region, particularly Buddhism, which functions as a link in analyzing the unique forms of culture that characterize the different countries of the Asian continent. Students will also learn to write and do research in art history at an advanced level.

Prerequisite: ART 2030 or ART 2130 or permission of the instructor, R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3630 African Art

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course explores major themes in the study of the visual arts in Africa. Works of art from the ancient rock paintings of the Sahara, through the ancient artistic traditions of Ife and Benin, to the arts of the colonial and post colonial periods are presented. Diverse forms of art works are studied in their social, religious, and political contexts.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3650 Art of Late Antiquity

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

A course in the Late Antique art, covering early Christian, Byzantine and early Islamic art. Focus on the social context of ancient art production and reception.

Prerequisites: ART 2030 or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3620 Latin American Art and Visual Culture

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course explores the creation, production, and circulation of Latin American art and visual culture since the 20th century both regionally and thematically, considering the historical, social, and political specificity of art practices and their relationships to issues of colonialism, nationalism, globalization, and decolonial resistance.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor and RC 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3700 Oceanic Art

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course examines the visual arts of the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea, including tattooing and other body adornment practices, architecture, sculpture, and textiles. The course explores the ways oceanic arts since the 18th century embody resistance and survival through the continuity of traditional art forms as well as work in more contemporary media and styles.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3705 Contemporary Art of Africa

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course examines themes in the study of the recent visual arts of Africa and the Caribbean during the colonial and post-colonial period. This course explores the ways that artistic production reflects its local background and circumstances as it enters into a dialog with a global art scene. The course will examine art as a sensitive barometer of social, cultural, religious, and political changes in modern Africa and the Caribbean.

Prerequisite: R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3710 Ancient Egyptian Art

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

A course in the history of Egyptian art, from archaic through early Christian periods. Focus is on the social context of ancient art production and reception. The course includes critical reading, writing, and discussion.

Prerequisites: ART 2030 or permission of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3730 Native Arts of the Americas

3 hours

This course explores the native arts and architecture of North America, Central America and South America. Diverse forms of artworks are studied in their social, religious, and political contexts. The focus of the course may be in any of the three major cultural regions, from prehistory to the present.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.

ARH 3750 History of Roman Art

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

A course in the history of Roman art, from archaic through early Christian periods. Focus on the social context of ancient art production and reception.

Prerequisites: ART 2030 or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3760 History of American Craft

3 hours

This course will consider the development of American studio craft from a historical perspective and continuing to the present day, considering craft objects as discreet entities and in relation to other creative output.

ARH 3770 Islamic Art and Architecture

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course is an introduction to Islamic art and architecture beginning in the 7th century and concluding in the present.  The course will explore visual production in regions across the globe where Islam has had a lasting influence, including North Africa, Spain, Iran and Central Asia, and South Asia. The course will encourage students to appreciate the diversity of artistic traditions that can be described as Islamic. Students will also learn to write and perform research in art history at an advanced level.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor; and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3780 Visualizing the City

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

The course explores the myriad ways in which one can visualize and experience cities, focusing on such topics as architecture, urbanism, art, and visual culture. Adopting a global approach to the study of cities, students will explore the intersections between the visual experience of the city and its political, social, and cultural context. Students will also learn to write and perform research in art history at an advanced level. Students may repeat the course once, barring duplication of content.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor; and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3790 Contemporary Asian Visual Culture

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

Students will examine and engage with methodologies of visual culture studies, as well as the history and practices of contemporary visual culture in Asia. In analyzing contemporary Asia the course covers visual culture practices from the nineteenth century to the present.  We will study art, photography, architecture, urbanism, museums and festivals, literature, film, and television in order to examine the characteristics of the shared lexicon and imaginary that produce distinctive contemporary viewing practices that we may call "Asian." Students will also learn to write and perform research in art history at an advanced level.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor; and R C 2001  or its equivalent.

ARH 3800 Art Since 1945

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

A survey of leading movements in contemporary art from 1945 to the present.

Prerequisites: ART 2130 or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3810 Photography and Culture

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This course invites students to develop a critical understanding of the relationship between photography and culture. Readings, lectures, presentations and discussions on historical and contemporary photographers will be incorporated into the coursework.

Prerequisites: ART 2130 or permission of the instructor and RC 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3820 History of Museums and Collecting

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

A seminar in the history of museums and collecting, focusing on the 19th century through today. Major emphasis is placed on critical reading, writing, and discussion.

Prerequisites: ART 2130 or permission of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 3830 Studies in Art History

3 hours

Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

An opportunity to study a special topic or a combination of topics not otherwise provided for in the art history curriculum, with a significant writing component. May be repeated for credit when content does not duplicate.

Prerequisites: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

ARH 4040 Seminar in Art History

3 hours

GEN ED: Junior Writing in the Discipline (WID)

This advanced seminar in art history will focus on in-depth inquiry into a particular period, theme, place or genre in art history. Content will vary from semester to semester.

Prerequisites: ART 2030, ART 2130 and R C 2001 or its equivalent.

May be repeated barring duplication of content for a total credit of 12 semester hours.