AHIS 72: American Art History Online

Santa Monica College Fall 2016

Course Syllabus
Professor:

Mina Majstorovic, PhD

Art Department telephone: 310-434-4230
E-mail: majstorovic_mina@smc.edu (fastest way to reach

me!)
Office Hours:
chat)

Tuesdays between 10:00-11:00 a.m. (Click on the

I will log on once a day Monday through Friday.
Therefore, during the week you can expect a response

within 24 hours.
For general questions, you can use the Q & A section under
Discussions. In addition to e-mailing me, you also have the
capacity to e-mail each other for help or collaboration.
Please remember to write your name and note which
class you are in when e-mailing. I have over 100
online students each semester and wont recognize your email address or know automatically which class youre in.
Tech Support:

studenthelpdesk@smconline.org OR 877-740-2213

Netiquette:

Although, there is a tendency toward informality when emailing, please keep in mind that this is an academic
course and should be treated as such. Please be sure to
spell check e-mails and comments added to threaded
discussions and do not use abbreviations for words. Also,
please be respectful of each others ideas and opinions.
Any comments that I deem inappropriate will be deleted.
Lastly, be sensitive to the fact that your comments can be
easily misinterpreted because this format lacks tone of
voice.

Class Schedule: October 24th December 16th, 2016

Arrange 6.5 hours per week
Please note this is a minimum and just as with a regular
land class this does not include exam preparation and

study time. For college courses, it is recommended that

for every hour spent in class each week, 2 hours of
study and preparation be spent outside class.

Just Released: Learning Studio Mobile Site for SMC Online. This will allow
you to login into your online courses to check
announcements, grades, due dates, and contribute to
discussions on the go, using your Smart Phones and other
Mobile Devices. STUDENTS ONLY will need to login through
the Mobile SSO login area located at
http://www.smc.edu/onlinemobile
Course Description: This course will survey the history of American art
from the first European colonies to the end of the 20th century. We will
examine the painting, sculpture, and architecture that were created in the
United States during this time. The aim of the course is to place artworks
and movements in their historical and cultural contexts in order to better
understand the political events and philosophical theories that informed each
era.
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course you should be able to:
A. Demonstrate proficiency in reading visual culture by analyzing works of
art in terms of how elements like line, space and color are used as well
as what meaning the work of art may have had.
B. Demonstrate that representation is a matter of culture by showing how
each period of the Western Art History utilized specific signs and
symbols and a method of delivering them.
C. Produce examples from Western Art and explain how those examples
were not only receptors of culture, society and environment, but also
creators of that very culture.
Required Texts:
Books and references: Your textbook for this class is Frances K. Pohls
Framing America: a Social History of American Art (Third edition,
2012). While I recommend that you purchase the book, I have placed copy
of your textbook along with the books listed below at the reserve desk in the
SMC library. In addition, although I do not recommend that you purchase the

following books, these titles may be useful sources for gaining a broader
knowledge of the history of American art.
Bjelajac, David. American Art: A Cultural History. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall,2005.(There are a number of images that we will discuss that
can be found in this book)
Craven, Wayne. American Art: History and Culture. New York: H.N. Abrams,
1994.(This is a general Art History survey book, which moves chronologically
and by media, i.e. painting, sculpture, architecture, and could be useful to
use as a supplement to our text)
Grading: Your grade for the class will consist of the following:
Weekly Quizzes

20%

Discussions

27%

Midterm Exam
Final Exam

27%
27%

Each of these grades form your final grade. The grading scale for this class
is: A = 270 - 300 points; B = 240 270; C = 210 240; D = 180 210; F =
180 and below.
Grades will only appear in the grade book when the unit has been
completed and youve SUBMITTED work for a grade. Grading
generally takes me 1 week from the time you SUBMIT assignments.
The weekly quizzes consist of multiple choice and true/false questions that
reflect your knowledge of the material covered in the book and
presentations.
You must complete the unit quiz by the due date in the syllabus. You
have two attempts for each quiz. Quizzes are timed, and you have 60
minutes to complete them. Work submitted after the due date or weekly unit
(if permitted) will receive half credit.
Discussions: Your grade will be based on your contribution to
threaded class discussions. For full credit in threaded discussions, write
in complete sentences, use correct spelling (your composition window

contains a spell check function), and use words like "because" and "for
example" as you provide clear reasoning and specific textual support in
expressing your point of view. Relate your ideas or opinions to artworks
you have studied. Some students add links to related sites or images that
they think are relevant. If you reference an outside source be sure to cite it
correctly (do not plagiarize). In order to get the full credit, you need to join
the Discussion Board with at least one initial post, and two additional replies
to me or to your peers during the week. You have to post at least three
substantive responses to each discussion for a full credit. Your
comments should be at least one to two paragraphs long. One
meaningful paragraph means at least 5 or more sentences in length.
Treat the discussion as if we were all in the classroom together. This means
you need to read what other students have already posted so that your
comments add to the dialog and do not just reiterate what has already been
said. Just as you could not add to a conversation that has already taken
place, it is not possible to add to threaded discussion after the due
date. In order to get the full credit for discussions, you have to post
at least your initial post by Thursday, or no later than Friday at
11:59pm. Let me know if you have any questions about it.
The Midterm and Final Exam are each worth 80 points. The exams are
hard and require you to study a lot. Although I know you have access to your
textbook during the exam there will not be enough time to look up
information. You must know it the same way you would if the exam were
taken in the classroom. The Midterm and Final are made up of 20 multiplechoice and true/false questions, which you will have 120 minutes to
complete. You have two attempts for each exam. DO NOT USE ANY
WEBSITES TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. I want to see what you have
learned from the lectures and textbook and how you can apply that
knowledge.
Cheating and Plagiarism: Students are expected to be honest in all
assignments. If it appears that you are cheating on an exam or plagiarizing
others work (copying without citing your source) you will be given a zero for
that assignment. An Academic Dishonesty form will be filed with the College
Disciplinarians Office and you will be penalized to the fullest extent of the
Santa Monica College's guidelines. For a complete discussion of academic
dishonesty and its repercussions, see the SMC Schedule of Classes or the
College Disciplinarians office. More information on plagiarism and its
repercussion will be distributed with your paper assignment.

Disabilities: Please let me know as soon as possible if you have a disability

that hinders your performance in this class so that accommodations may be
made to satisfy course requirements. Any student with questions about the
programs and resources available for learning- or physically disabled
students can get further information through the Santa Monica College
Center for Students with Disabilities (310-434-4265).

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AHIS 72 Course Schedule Fall 2016 Online

Week 1

Getting Acquainted

Oct 24-Oct 30
chapter 1: 19-59)

ART AND CONQUEST: SPAIN AND FRANCE (read

BRITISH CONQUEST (read chapter 1: 59-78)
Complete quiz 1 and discussion 1
by midnight (or 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time) on
Sunday

Week 2

FROM COLONIAL TO REVOLUTION (read chapter 2: 8292)

Oct 31-Nov 6

DEFINING A NEW NATION (read chapter 2: 92-136)

Complete quiz 2 and discussion 2 by midnight on

Sunday

Week 3
Nov 7-Nov 13

LANDSCAPE (read chapter 3: 140-181)

GENRE, STILL LIFE AND THE WEST (read chapter 3:181194 and chapter 4:198-216)
Complete discussion 3 and quiz 3 by midnight on
Sunday

Week 4
216-250)

WAR, RACE, AND WINSLOW HOMER (read chapter 4:

Nov 14-Nov 20 REALISM AND THE GILDED AGE (read chapter 5: 254
289)

Complete discussion 4 and Midterm exam by

midnight on Sunday

Week 5
AMERICANS IN PARIS AND IMPRESSIONISM (read
chapter 5: 289-320)
Nov 21-Nov 27 ASHCAN SCHOOL (read chapter 6: 324-338)
Complete quiz 5 and discussion 5 by midnight on
Sunday

Week 6
6: 339-354)

PHOTOGRAPHY, MODERNISM AND DADA (read chapter

Nov 28-Dec 4
RENAISSANCE (read

PAINTING TRENDS AND THE HARLEM

chapter 6:
354-386)

Complete quiz 6 and discussion 6 by midnight on

Sunday

Week 7
THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND INTO WORLD WAR II
(read chapter 7: 390-Dec 5-Dec 11
450)
Complete quiz 7 and discussion 7 by midnight on
Sunday

Week 8
Dec 12-Dec 16

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM AND ITS AFTERMATH

(Chapter 8: 460-540)
Complete Discussion 8 and TAKE FINAL EXAM

midnight on

All assignments must be submitted no later than

December 16th