Fall 2023 Course Syllabus
Course: ARTS-1301 (Section: 7B, CRN: 92716)
Art Appreciation
LSCPA Logo Image
Instructor Information
Instructor Donald Bullock
Email bullockdl@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6520
Office Sam and Linda Monroe Performing Arts Center - Room: 144
Office Hours Virtual Office Hours Tuesdays and Wednesdays 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Additional Contact Information
Course Information
Description A general introduction to the visual arts designed to create an appreciation of the vocabulary, media, techniques, and purposes of the creative process. Students will critically interpret and evaluate works of art (painting, sculpture, architecture) within formal, cultural, and historical contexts.
Required Textbooks Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

Living with Art, 12th edition.  Author:  Mark Getlein.  ISBN-13: 978-1259916755 and ISBN-10: 1259916758
Additional Materials/Resources TimelyCare Information:
TimelyCare is a virtual health and well-being platform available 24/7 for Lamar State College Port Arthur students. Any enrolled student can use TimelyCare. There is no cost to students. Go to timelycare.com/LSCPA or download the TimelyCare app to access care.
Corequisites/Prerequisites None
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will: Apply art terminology as it specifically relates to works of art. Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles of design. Differentiate between the processes and materials used in the production of various works of art. Critically interpret and evaluate works of art. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of arts on culture.
Core Objectives Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view. Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.
Lecture Topics Outline

Chapter 1

Lecture Topics

1.       Art Before History: Discovering the Earliest Forms of Visual Art
2.       The Patron: An Artist’s Dream or Nightmare
3.       Why Do People Talk About Art? Art Criticism from Classical Times to the Present
4.       The Expressive Art and Writings of Van Gogh: Reaching Out From Within
5.       Maya Lin: Art for the Public and Art with a Purpose
6.       Why Art Doesn’t Send the Same Message to Everyone
 
 
Chapter 2


Lecture Topics

1.       How symbolism expands the meaning of an artwork
2.       The relationship between words and images in various cultures
3.       Art and its audiences
4.       Art as a cultural artifact; art as personal expression
5.       Outsider Art: Artworks and their artists


 

Chapter 3

Lecture Topics

1.       Iconoclasm: the destruction of images
2.       Using art to change the world: in the past and in the present
3.       Art about Nature: how artists have transformed our understanding of nature
4.       Art of the sacred realm: visions of and spaces for spiritual experience
5.       Preserving individual and cultural identity with visual stories and histories
6.       The Here and Now: Who are we and what are we doing here?
 
 


Chapter 4

Lecture Topics

1.       Compositional journeys – how artists’ compositions lead the viewer’s eye
2.       Defining space in on a flat plane – linear and atmospheric perspective
3.       The power of colors and their emotional and mental effects
 


Chapter 5:

Lecture Topics

1.       Balancing unity and variety in design
2.       Design conventions of the classical artists: the golden section, hierarchical scale, etc.
3.       Using scale and proportion to communicate ideas
4.       Analyzing composition and compositional elements
5.       Guiding the eye through emphasis
 
 
Chapter 6
Lecture Topics
1.       Ledger drawings of American Indians
2.       The history of paper
3.       The use of paper for non-traditional purposes
4.       The characteristics and appearances of various drawing materials
5.       Drawing throughout history
6.       The intimacy of the drawn line
7.       Drawing personal responses
8.       Drawing in preparation for works in other media
 
Chapter 7
Lecture Topics
1.       Artists who prefer a single medium; artists who experiment with various media
2.       How formal aspects of painting relate to and reinforce content
3.       Qualities, characteristics, and limitations of various painting media
4.       Artists’ preferences for certain media to fulfill purposes of certain works
5.       Painting: pre-history to post-modern
6.       Painting application techniques and style
7.       History and fresco painting
8.       Non-easel painting and how it challenges tradition
 


Chapter 8

Lecture Topics

1.       Recognizing and evaluating machine-printed versus “limited” artists’ prints
2.       Connections among printmaking, music, literature, politics, and advertising
3.       Historical backgrounds of printmaking techniques
4.       Characteristics, materials, and techniques of the four major printing methods
5.       Rembrandt and the concept of “limited” editions
6.       The prints of Käthe Kollwitz
7.       The formal and technical influences of Asian wood cuts on 19th- and 20th-century artists
8.       The use of caricatures in newspapers and magazines
9.       The diversity of media, techniques, and purposes of prints
10.   How printmaking has been changed by computers and digital technology
 


Chapter 9

Lecture Topics

1.       The history of photography
2.       Photography and the painter: friends or foes
3.       How photojournalism influences history
4.       Movies: The history of an industry
5.       Expanding concepts of art: video and digital imaging
6.       The emotional impact of photography and film
7.       The auteur and the amateur in film and video


 

Chapter 10

Lecture Topics

1.       The history of graphic design and the use of symbols
2.       Graphic design as a tool for social and political change
3.       Designing for media in the 21st Century
4.       Web page as billboard
5.       From handbill to blog: the evolution of advertising
6.       Logos throughout history
7.       The use of graphic design in art
 


Chapter 11

Lecture Topics

1.       Sculpture and the spiritual and physical worlds
2.       Sculpture and the human body: figurative and metaphorical
3.       The influence of African sculpture on European modernism
4.       The artistic translation of a work from medium to medium
5.       The permanent or impermanent qualities of a work of art
6.       The viewer’s or patron’s interpretive role in accepting or rejecting works of art
7.       Christo and Jeanne-Claude: purpose, process, performance, and promotion
 
Chapter 12
Lecture Topics
1.       Crafts: the useful arts
2.       Major methods of forming and finishing clay works
3.       Glass works from Roman to contemporary times
4.       The history of metal crafts
5.       New craft materials and techniques of the 21st century
6.       Non-western craft traditions and materials
7.       The re-evaluation and appreciation of traditional Native American crafts in the 20th century and today
8.       Crafts as fine art


 

Chapter 13

Lecture Topics

1.       The history and technological development of structural systems in architecture
2.       The development and use of non-traditional materials for building
3.       Interrelationships between cultural lifestyles and traditions, and architectural design
4.       The Rural Studio: student architects meet the community and its needs
5.       The Crystal Palace: architecture meets industry
6.       The elements of art and principles of design as applied to architecture
7.       Designing and building for function and purpose
8.       Green architecture: conserving Earth’s resources through design
 
Week 8: 
Group Presentations
Review for Mid-term Exam and Mid-term Exam.
Quiz on Monday will be a review for exam
Review for Mid-term Exam
Mid-term Exam
Assign reading for next week Chapters 14, 15, and 16.
 


 

Chapter 14

Lecture Topics

1.       Changing interpretations of the significance of cave art
2.       The stability and continuity of Egyptian civilization and art
3.       The developing styles of Greek representations of the human body
4.       Multiculturalism in the Roman world
5.       Neolithic technological advances and the development of civilization
6.       Beliefs about the afterlife and their influences on art and architecture
7.       The Amarna period in Egyptian art, religion, and history


 

Chapter 15

Lecture Topics

1.       The causes and effects of the decline of the Roman presence in Western Europe
2.       Structural systems and styles of architecture in the Middle Ages
3.       Byzantine influence on art, architecture, and crafts
4.       Differences between Western European and Byzantine art and religious expression
5.       Finding evidence of the influence of animal-style art throughout northern Europe
6.       The Holy Roman Empire and emerging European kingdoms
7.       Contrasting the Romanesque and Gothic styles
 


Chapter 16

Lecture Topics

1.       The historical background of the Renaissance
2.       The emergence of new techniques and media in the Renaissance
3.       The Protestant Reformation and the Northern Renaissance
4.       Renaissance humanism and changing attitudes toward the individual
5.       The Classical foundations of the Renaissance
6.       The rising status of the arts and artists
7.       The Medici, the Church, and other important patrons of Renaissance artists
8.       The traditional subjects of Renaissance painting
9.       The elements of art and principles of design in Renaissance art
 
 


Chapter 17

Lecture Topics

1.       Monarchies and colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries
2.       Renaissance order and Baroque dynamism
3.       The return of classicism to art
4.       Bernini’s environments: Baroque theatricality and the Cornaro Chapel
5.       Versions of the Baroque in various European countries
6.       The new patrons of art of the Baroque era
7.       The power of artists to create images of political and personal power
 


Chapter 18

Lecture Topics

1.       The early history of Islam
2.       Islamic architecture: mosques and palaces
3.       Decorative arts in Islamic cultures
4.       The Qur’an and the importance of the word
5.       Purposes of the arts in African cultures
6.       The multiplicity of arts and cultures in Africa
7.       The importance of the spirit realm in African culture
8.       The masquerade’s function in African life and arts
9.       Gender roles in African cultures
 


Chapter 19

Lecture Topics

1.       The cultures of East Asia
2.       Indus Valley civilizations and arts
3.       The design of Angkor Wat
4.       The influence of Buddhism on the arts
5.       Shamanism in the Shang dynasty
6.       Confucianism and its influences on art and scholarship
7.       Hinduism: history and influence
8.       Contemporary trends in Chinese and Japanese arts
9.       Scholars and the arts in Chinese culture
10.   TheTale of Genji and its author and influence on art
11.   The importance of the Silk Road in cultural diffusion
12.   Styles of Japanese painting: Reflections of ideas and issues
 


Chapter 20

Lecture Topics

1.       Age of Discovery: assessing and affecting native arts during European conquest and colonization
2.       Prehistoric art of the Pacific and the Americas
3.       The purposes and functions of art in Polynesian cultures
4.       Changing perceptions: archaeology and anthropology as tools for understanding art
5.       Symbolism and dreaming in the arts of the Americas and the Pacific
6.       Cultural accomplishments and arts of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica
7.       Architecture and sculpture in Mesoamerica
8.       Ceramic arts of the Americas
9.       The materials of North American native art: before and after European contact
10.   Ritual objects: masks, dolls, and other representations of human and supernatural beings
 
 


Chapter 21

Lecture Topics

1.       Paul Gauguin: his search for his own truth in subject and style
2.       Picasso and Braque: the fragmentation of the image
3.       Cézanne and the foundations of Cubism
4.       The “isms” and expanding definitions of 19th- and 20th-century art
5.       The establishment and evolution of avant-garde art
6.       Subjects and technique in academic art of the 19th century
7.       The Impressionists: breaking away from the academy and the studio
8.       The effects of wars and politics on 20th-century art movements
 


Chapter 22

Lecture Topics

1.       Postmodern art and the incorporation of the non-visual: words, music, and theater in contemporary art
2.       The last half of the 20th century and the art of the United States
3.       The New York School and improvisation
4.       Society, politics, and the American art scene in the Sixties and Seventies
5.       Conceptual art: images in the service of ideas
6.       Art, human bodies, and the human spirit
 


Chapter 23

Lecture Topics

7.       Contemporary art across borders
8.       The effect of globalization on the art world
9.       The media and methods of contemporary artists
10.   The commentary of contemporary artists on globalization
Major Assignments Schedule Course Outline:
All work, quizzes, and tests can either be typed or handwritten
The due dates and lecture days may change over the course of the semester.
 
Week 1: Course outline: This week introduces a brief overview of the class, reviews the syllabus, helps the students get their books, assigns written homework assignment due next week, assigns reading for this week (syllabus), assigns reading for next week (Chapter 1), and explains to the students what is expected of them this semester.
 
Written Assignment
Students will write a one-page (200 word) paper on what they think art is. 
 
Weeks 2: Includes lectures covering chapter 1, assigns reading for next week (Chapters 2 and 3) and assigns Written homework assignment due next week.
 
Written Assignment
Students should choose an image of an art object from their textbook that they like and explain in a one-page paper why they think it is a “good” work of art and what it means to them. This image will be used again for other written assignments to measure their understanding of art terms and visual analysis learned later in the course. 
 
Weeks 3: This week covers chapters 2 and 3, Written homework assignment due next week, and assigns reading for next week (Chapters 4 and 5).
 
Written Assignment Students should choose an image of an art object from their textbook that they Do NOT like and explain in a one-page paper why they think it is a bad work of art and what it means to them. This image will be used again for other written assignments to measure their understanding of art terms and visual analysis learned later in the course.
 
Week 4: 
This week covers Visual elements, the vocabulary of art:  line, direction and movement, shape and mass, light, color, texture and pattern, space, perspective, time and motion. This week also covers the Principles of Design:  unity and variety, balance, emphasis and subordination, scale and proportion, and rhythm.
Quiz on covering assigned reading from weekend.
This week’s Written Assignment due and assign next week’s written assignment.
Assigned reading for next week chapters 6, 7, and 8.


 

Written Assignment
For this week’s assignment, you will select a work of art from the textbook and write a brief one-page visual analysis for the work. You must include the artist’s name, the title of the work, the date, and the medium. You will pick three visual elements found in the work, describe them, and explain how the artist used the principles of design to incorporate these visual elements into the work of art.
 
Week 5:
This week covers the different mediums of drawing, painting, and print making in art and assigns the students to their presentation groups for the Group presentation given on Week 8.
Quiz covering the reading.
This week’s Written Assignment due.
Assign reading for next week.
Reading for next week Chapters 9 and 10.
 
Written Assignment
Students will revisit the images they used in their first two written assignments, describe them using their new understanding of visual elements and principles of design, explain how the works are different from each other and how they are similar. Finally, the student should note if their views on the two images have changed. This paper is 2 – 3 pages in length. This paper will be used to gauge how much the student has learned about engaging a work of art and how well they use their newfound vocabulary, concepts, and terms.
 
Group Presentation on a local work of art
The group will select a local (100-mile radius) work of art and create a presentation examining how the artist used the visual elements in conjunction with the principles of design to create the work. In addition, the group must explain the significance of the work of art to the local community. This presentation must include the artist’s name, the title of the work, the date, and the medium as well as an image of the work. This presentation must also include at least 3 visual elements and two principles of design.
Finally, this project has an individual element for each student. Each student must submit a 1-page (200-word) paper on why art is important to society.
 
Week 6:
This week covers the mediums of photography, computer arts and graphic design in art.
Quiz covering the reading.
This week’s Written Assignment due.
Assign reading for next week.
Reading for next week Chapters 11, 12, and 13.
Students will break into their groups and work on their presentations.
 
Written Assignment
The student will look through copies of magazines or newspapers and find a graphic designs or illustrations that they believe is meant to convey a social message and another one that they feel is meant to sell a product. Explain the ways in which the elements of graphic design are used to achieve these differing goals. 1- 2 pages.
 
Week 7: 
This week covers the mediums of sculpture and installation, Architecture, and the subjects of Ritual and Daily life in art through examining arts and crafts.
Quiz covering the reading.
This week’s Written Assignment due.
Assign reading for next week.
 
Written Assignment
Find a work of art that you encounter daily? What purposes do they fulfill? How do we respond to them? 1- 2 pages. This assignment seeks to prompt the student to start looking at and engaging art in their local community.
 
Week 8: 
Work on Group Presentations
 
Week 9: 
Present Group Presentations
 next week Chapters 14, 15, and 16.
 
Week 10:
This week examines the Ancient World, Christianity in Europe, and the Renaissance.
Quiz covering the reading.
This week’s Written Assignment due.
Assign reading for next week.
Assign reading for next week Chapters 17 and 18.
 
Written Assignment
Find an examples of a contemporary work of art that relates in some way to ancient works. Explain the connections you observe. 1- 2 pages. This assignment encourages the student to begin looking at art in a historical context.
 
Week 11: 
This week examines art in Europe during the 17th and 18th Centuries and the Arts of Africa and Islam.
Quiz covering the reading.
This week’s Written Assignment due.
Assign reading for next week.
Assigned reading for next week Chapters 19 and 20.
 
 
 
Written Assignment
In what ways does Islamic religious art differ from Christian religious art? What are the uses of text and images in both cultures in secular and religious art? Can an understanding of the arts and humanities foster better relations between conflicting cultures and different religions? If so, in what ways might this be accomplished? This assignment encourages the student to examine art through the lens of the culture that created it and compare and contrast it with art from other cultures. 1 – 2 pages.
 
Week 12:
This week examines the arts of East Asia, Pacifica, and the Americas.
Quiz covering the reading.
Assign reading for next week.
Reading for next week Chapter 21 and 22.
 
Week 13:
This week examines Modern art from 1800 to 1945, Postmodern Art and the globalization of art.
Quiz covering the reading.
This week’s Written Assignment due.
Assign reading for next week.
Assign Group Presentation for Week 14
 
Written Assignment
Why was cubism such a break from other established art traditions? 1- 2 pages. This assignment encourages the student to better understand why art movements happen.
 
Final Exam Project:
This assignment will consist of THREE submissions: One piece of original art, one artist statement and a link or printout of the original art you are copying.
 
For this assignment, choose a piece of art from a book or museum on the internet and copy that artwork to paper or canvas. You must complete the artwork yourself, no tracing or digital tools allowed.
As with any art projects for this course, the piece must be original for this course (even though it is a copy of another's work).
 
Drawings: must be minimum 11" x 14" paper. I suggest larger. No newsprint. Must use white heavyweight art paper, at least 90 lb. Pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, crayon, color pencil, or any sort of mix of those tools.
No Lined paper!!! No Notebook Paper!!
 
Paintings: must be minimum 11" x 14" canvas or board only. Use as many colors as you think will be needed to recreate the piece. I recommend using acrylic (most affordable, available) but you may use any other paint (oil, etc.). Should be applied using brushes but may use other methods. Do not use lined notebook paper under any circumstances.
This art must be your interpretation of another artist’s work. Your individual skill level doesn't matter, so don't worry too much about accuracy, but I should be able to see similarities in composition, coloring, etc.
 
You must also submit an artist statement. An artist’s statement is simply you telling me why you created what you did. It should be a minimum of 200 words and include any thoughts on the process or problems encountered. What was your intent and were you satisfied with the outcome?
Please contact me with any questions.
 
Week 14: Work on Final Project
 
Week 15:
Work on Final Project start presenting final projects in class.
 
Week 16:
Final project presented in class.
 
Final Exam Date December 12, 2023 - 8:0 AM   Through  December 13, 2023 - 4:0 PM
Grading Scale
Determination of
Final Grade
Classroom and Group Discussion Boards - 10%
Group Presentations - 10%
Quizzes (10 total) – 35 %
Writing Assignments (10 total) - 35%
Final Project - 10%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies None
Attendance Policy Per Lamar PA
Additional Information
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

Grievance / Complaint / Concern If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information
Commercial Music, Visual and Performing Arts
Chair:Richard Vandewalker
Email:vandewalkerre@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6520