Butler County Community College Valerie Haring

Humanities and Fine Arts Spring 2003

COURSE OUTLINE
ART APPRECIATION
Course Description:
AR 100. Art Appreciation. 3 hours credit. The purpose of this course is to
acquaint the student with the many aspects of the visual arts. The student will be
guided in developing a personal set of standards for judging art and
understanding the various aspects of art in our lives; the language of art;
exploration of the various technical and formal aspects of art media (e.g.
painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture, etc.); and the history
of art from ancient times to the present.

Course Relevance:
The Art Appreciation course is relevant to the lives of the student in a number of
ways. Through the study of art history the student is offered a sense of
civilization and human experience. Speaking and writing about art develops
critical thinking skills and fosters effective communication skills. Through
exposure to creative works, the student will acquire tools for improving creative
problem solving capabilities.

Required Materials:
Text: Getlein, Mark. (2008). Gilbert’s Living with Art (8th ed.) New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Co., Inc.

Supplementary Materials:
Paper and writing utensils are required at each class session. Occasionally the
student will be required to do hands-on art projects. Some materials will be
supplied, but for the most part the student will be responsible for purchasing the
required materials. Cost will not exceed $5.00.

Learning Outcomes:
The intention is for the student to be able to:
1. Recognize the basic historical styles of art and the personal style of a
number of historically significant artists.
2. Apply vocabulary pertinent to the discussion of art.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the technical processes of various art
media.

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 4. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of design and the
elements of art.
5. Identify relationships between art and the society in which it is created.
6. Apply developed personal criteria for viewing and judging art.

Learning PACT
Through the student involvement in this course, he/she will develop and
document his/her achievement of the following PACT skills:
Primary skills (developed and documented):

1. Critical thinking
• Through written assignments and classroom participation activities, the
student will develop critical thinking and analytical skills.
2. Historical interpretation
• Students will interpret human behavior and events in the historical context
of the past, present and future.
3. Aesthetic Response
• Students will articulate an informed personal response to works of art.

Secondary skills (developed but not documented):

Self-concept
Teamwork
Valuing Diversity
Reading
Listening
Speaking
Computer Literacy
Internet Use

Assessment Tasks:
These learning outcomes and primary Learning PACT skills will be demonstrated
by:
• A student essay assignment. This written assignment will be a
comparison of two prominent artists or art styles.

Course Content:
I. Themes - Key recurring concepts that run throughout this course:
A. Art content and subject matter
B. Creativity
C. Aesthetics

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II. Issues - Key issues that will be addressed in this course:
A. The role of art in history and society
B. Public art, censorship and funding
C. Diversity in expression

III. Concepts – Key concepts that must be understood to address the issues:
A. The elements of art and principles of design
B. Art media
C. Terminology, tools and techniques specific to the visual arts
D. The importance of historical figures and art
E. Different perspectives of art concepts

IV. Skills - Actions that are essential to achieve the course outcomes:
A. Reading
B. Writing
C. Listening
D. Critical and analytical thinking
E. Application of concepts

Learning Units:
I. Introduction to the visual arts
A. What is art?
B. Art and society
C. Themes and purposes of art

II. The vocabulary of art

A. The visual elements
B. Principles of Design

III. Two-Dimensional Media

A. Drawing
B. Painting
C. Printing
D. Graphic arts and Photography

IV. Three-Dimensional Media

A. Sculpture
B. Creamics and crafts
C. Architecture

V. Art History
A. Prehistoric art and art from ancient civilizations
B. The Middle Ages

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 C. The Renaissance
D. Arts of Islam and of Africa
E. Arts of East Asia
F. Arts of the Pacific and of the Americas
G. The Modern World: 1800-1945
H. Art since 1945

Learning Activities:
Classroom: Learning activities will include the following: Exams, Response
Papers, Research Papers, Classroom Participation Activities, Quizzes, Video
Responses, Gallery Assignments, Group Work, Reading Assignments and
Hands-on Art Assignments.

Grade Determination:
The student will be graded on satisfactory completion of all assessment tasks,
learning assignments conducted within the Art Appreciation course, attendance,
and other methods of evaluation at the discretion or the instructor.

Grading Scale
100-90 A
%
89-80 B
%
79-70 C
%
69-60 D
%
59-0 F
%

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