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ARTH3340:ArtoftheUnitedStatesUniversityofTexasatElPaso

Fall2017

CRN:18635ClassMeetingTimes:Tuesdays/Thursdays,10:30–11:50a.m.Classroom:FoxFineArtsA458(4thfloor)Professor:Dr.WarakEmail:mcwarak@utep.eduOfficeHours:T2:00-4:00,W12:30-1:20,andbyappointmentOffice:FoxFineArtsA454OfficePhone:(915)747-7849(duringofficehours)ABOUTYOURPROFESSORDr.MelissaWarakisAssistantProfessorofArtHistoryandspecializesintherelationshipofmusicandsoundtoartofthetwentiethandtwenty-firstcenturies.Dr.WarakearnedaB.A.inEnglishliteratureandarthistoryfromVanderbiltUniversity,anM.A.inarthistoryfromtheUniversityofTexasatAustin,andaPh.D.inarthistoryfromtheUniversityofTexasatAustin.Hercurrentresearchfocusesonthewaysthatvisualartistsfromthemid-fiftiestolatesixtiesemployedmusicalmodelsintheirwork.Asidefrommusicalandsoundart,herresearchinterestsincludethehistoryofabstraction,spiritualityinmodernandcontemporaryart,scienceandtechnologyinmodernandcontemporaryart,andastronomyinart.HerresearchhasbeensupportedbygrantsandfellowshipsfromtheNationalPortraitGalleryoftheSmithsonianInstitution,theGettyResearchInstitute,theRoyalMusicAssociationoftheUnitedKingdom,TheMenilCollectioninHouston,theCrystalBridgesMuseumofAmericanArt,theKressFoundation,andtheYaleUniversityArtGalleries,amongothers.COURSEDESCRIPTIONThiscoursecoversthehistoryofNorthAmericanpainting,drawing,sculpture,photography,andnewmediafromthecolonialperiodtothepresent.Wewillconsiderthemesofrace,representation,andmulticulturalism;inaddition,wewillvisitandrevisitnotionsofwhatitmeanstobean“American”artistandhowtheseartistsfashionedtheiridentities.WewillalsoconsiderthewaysinwhichtheU.S.becameamajorforceintheartworld.COURSEOBJECTIVESDuringthiscourse,studentswilldeveloptheirunderstandingofthehistoryofAmericanartandvisualcultureandacquireskillsessentialtotheprofessionalarthistorianandartmuseumcurator.Theseincludethefollowing:1.Developingwritingskills,oralpresentationcompetencies,andpointsofviewneededbyprofessionalarthistorians.2.Learningtofindanduseresourcesforansweringresearchquestionsandproblems.3.Analyzingandcriticallyevaluatingideasandarguments.4.Gainingknowledgeoftheterminology,trends,andmethodologiesusedtostudyAmericanart.TEXTSFORCLASSSelectedscholarlyarticleswillbepostedtothecourse’srelatedBlackboardpage(seeschedule).StudentsareresponsiblefordownloadingthesefromBlackboard.AllreadingsneedtobecompletedBEFOREthe

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classperiodfortheday.Iwillalsohaveacopyofthefollowingtextbookavailableforreference:Miller,Angela,MargarettaLovell,DavidLubin,JanetBerlo,JenniferRoberts,andBryanWolf.AmericanEncounters:Art,History,andCulturalIdentity.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:Pearson/PrenticeHall,2008.GRADINGPOLICYSeethecoursescheduleforallscheduledexams/duedates/readings.Thiscoursewillhavethreeexams.Studentswillwriteonepaperwitharesearchcomponent.AnassignmentsheetfortheprojectwillbepostedtoBlackboard.Eachstudentwillalsoberesponsibleforteaching/presentingonanartistonagivenclassday.Studentswillalsobegradedondiscussionparticipationinclass;pointswillbeassignedforboththefirstandsecondhalvesofthesemester.Agoodruleofthumbistotrytocontributeatleastonceperclass(viaideas,questions,orresponsestootherstudents).Lastly,wewillhavetwelvereadingquizzes(worth10pointseach)throughoutthesemester.Therewillbenomakeupquizzes,butthelowestquizgradewillbedropped.Thiscoursewillbegradedonascaleof500points.ReadingQuizzes(12): 110pointsParticipationI: 15pointsParticipationII: 20pointsArtistPresentation: 25pointsExam1: 65pointsExam2: 75pointsExam3: 75pointsResearchPaper: 115pointsTherefore,hereisthepointbreakdownforgrades:448–500points:A397–447points:B347–396points:C297–346points:D000–296points:FTAKINGNOTESINCLASSExammaterialwillcomefromideasdiscussedinclass;thereadingssupplementlecturesanddiscussions.Completingthereadingswillnottaketheplaceofattendanceandparticipationinclass.Itiscriticalthatstudentstakenotesinclass.Thinkoftheexamsasawaytoshowoffwhatyouhavelearnedinclass.Irecommendbringinganotebookdesignatedjustforthiscourse.Usingbulletpointswillhelpyouwritedownmoreinformation.VocabularyandimportanttermswillbewrittenonthePowerpointpresentationslidesandyoushouldpayspecialattentiontothesetermsandtheworksofartwheretheymaybeapplicable.BasicidentifyinginformationforeachworkwillalsobeprovidedonthePowerpoints(artistname,title,date);thesewillbeuploadedtoBlackboardforyouruse.Itisagoodideatodateyournotessoyouknowwhatwecoveredeachday.Itisalsoagoodideatotakenotesontheclassreadingsinyournotebooks.EXAMSExamswillconsistofasingleessayquestion(youwillhaveachoiceamongthreeorfourtopics).Wewillnot

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havespecificimagelistsforeachexam.Instead,studentswilldecideonappropriateexamplesfromclassfortheiressayexams.ExamswillbeOPENNOTE,somakesuretotakenotesextensively.Studentswillbeallowedtobringthefollowingtotheexams:1)notebook;2)quizzes;and3)studentpresentationhandouts.YoumaynotbringcopiesofthereadingsorclassPowerpointpresentations.Theexamsarenotcumulative.Seemeduringofficehoursforhelpimprovingyournote-takingskills.StudentswillnotbeallowedtoleavetheroomandmaybeaskedtoputphonesandAppleWatches(orsimilar)atthefrontoftheroomduringtheexams.READINGQUIZZESStudentswilltakethedailyten-minutereadingquizzesatthebeginningofclass.Besuretoarrivetoclassontime.Therearenomakeupquizzes.Thequizzesmaybeononeorallofthereadingsassignedforagivendayandwilllikelybeshortanswer,fill-in-the-blank,andtrue/falsequestions.Toprepareforthese,youshouldmakesuretoreadthetextscarefullyandtakenotesontheminyournotebook(thiswillalsohelpwiththeexams).Youmayfinditusefultoskimthereadingsonceforthelargerissuesatstakeandthentakenotesduringasecondmorecarefulreading.Besurethatyoucanidentifytheauthor’sargumentsandtheprimaryevidenceusedtosupportthem.Asyouread,thinkcriticallyaboutwhatmightbeusefulaboutthetextsforourcoursetopic.PAPERFORMATTINGANDWRITINGHELPAllpapersshouldbeuploadedtoSafeAssign(viaBlackboard)bytheduedate;Imayalsorequireapapercopy.NotethatpapersinthiscoursewillusetheformatsoftheChicagoManualofStyle:http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org.StudentswhoareconcernedaboutthequalityoftheirwritingshouldcontacttheWritingCenterandmakeanappointmentwellbeforethedeadline:http://academics.utep.edu/writingcenter/

***COURSEPOLICIES***ATTENDANCEPOLICY(MANDATORYATTENDANCE)Policyinshort:Allowedabsences(includingillness)withoutpenalty=3absencesTardies=½absenceAutomaticdrop=6absencesAttendancebonus=10pointsPolicyindetail:Classattendanceisarequirementanduseofthefullclassperiodisexpected.Anattendancesheetwillbepassedaroundatthebeginningofeachlecture;makesureyou(andonlyyou)signiteveryday.Studentsshouldneversigntheattendancesheetforanyoneelseoraskanyonetosignforthem.Youareallowedthreeabsencesforanyreasonwithoutgradingconsequences.Itisuptoyourdiscretionhowyouusethese,includingforillness,andyoudonotneedtonotifymeinadvanceexceptinthecaseofareligiousholyday(seebelow).Morethanthreeabsencesfromclasswillresultinaloweringofyouroverallgradebytwentypointsperabsence(rememberthatthisclassisgradedonascaleof500points).Inthecaseofanillnessoremergencythatcausesyoutomissmorethanthreeconsecutiveclassdays,youwillwanttodropthecourse.Studentswhoaremorethanfiveminuteslateorwholeaveearlywithoutpermissionwillbegivenhalfcreditforattendance.Tardies/halfcreditswillfigureintotheabsencecount.Sixabsenceswillresultinanautomaticdropfromthecourse;thisincludestardies.Studentswithtwoormoreabsencesbythecensusdatewillbe

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dropped.Thatsaid,studentswillreceiveanattendancebonusoftenpointstothefinalcoursegradewithperfectattendanceandnotardies(noexceptions;attendancemustbe100%).Studentsareresponsibleforacquiringnotesandannouncementsmadeduringmissedclasses,somakeafriendandexchangecontactinformation.Dr.WarakwillkeeparunningtallyofabsencesinacolumnontheGradebooksectionofBlackboard.EMAILPOLICYAllcoursecorrespondencefrommewilltakeplaceviaBlackboard’semailfunction.MakesurethatyouarereceivingemailsthroughBlackboardandthatyouhaveacurrentemailaddressonfile.Pleasenotethat,duetoFERPAregulations,Iwillnotemailwithstudentsaboutgrades.Ifyouhaveaquestionorconcernaboutagrade,pleasevisitofficehoursormakeanappointment.IfyouwouldliketoSkypewithmeduringofficehours(username:melissa.warak),pleaseletmeknowinadvance.Additionally,ifyouhaveaquestionthatrequiresalonganswer,Imayaskyoutocomeseemeinpersontosavetime.Lastly,pleaserememberthatemailsareconsideredaformofprofessionalcorrespondenceandalittlecourtesygoesalongway.LAPTOPS,TABLETS,ANDPHONESStudentsmaynotusecomputersandotherelectronicdevices(includingrecordingdevices)duringclass.Itisimportantthatstudentsfocustheirattentiononthelecturesandprojectedimageswithoutdistractionsandthattheytakecarefulanddetailednotes.Cellphonesandtabletsshouldbesilentandkeptoutofsight.Theirbrightlightsareverydistractinginadarkclassroom.Youwillbereprimandedifyouarecaughtusingyourphoneintheclassroom;repeatoffenseswillresultinbeingaskedtoleaveclasswithanabsencepenalty.IfacellphoneoranAppleWatchisinanywayvisibleduringanexamination,thatstudentwillautomaticallyfailtheexam;forthisreason,studentsshouldexpecttobringtheirphonestothefrontoftheclassroomduringexamsandretrievethephoneuponturningintheexam.CLASSROOMETIQUETTEPleaseberespectfulofotherstudentsintheclassroom.Theclassroomdoorwillbeopenforfiveminutesafterclassbegins;afterthat,tardieswillbegiven.Inappropriatebehaviorincludescominglateorleavingearly,usingphonesorelectronicdevicesforanyreason,passingnotes,excessivewhisperingwithfriends,andpackingbagsbeforeclassisover.UsetherestroomBEFOREclass,asenteringorleavingtheroomisverydistracting.InappropriatebehaviorintheclassroommayresultinadirectivetoleaveclassorbeingreportedtotheDeanofStudentsfordisciplinaryactioninaccordancewithUTEPpolicy.Youmaybringfoodanddrinks,butthedrinksmusthaveasealablelid.Anoteonbags:pleasemakesureyourbagissmallenoughtofitfullyunderyourchair.Ifnot,youwillbeaskedtoputittothesideoftheclassroom.Artsupplies,gymbags,andotheritemswillneedtobestoredontheshelvesintheclassroomtokeepthefloortidy.MAKE-UPPOLICYThepaperassignmentsheetexplainsalateworkpolicy.Therearenomakeupexamsorquizzes,exceptinextremecircumstancesdocumentedwiththeDeanofStudents.Planyoursemesteraccordingly.ACADEMICDISHONESTYANDPLAGIARISMAcademicdishonestyorcheatingwillresultinfailureinthiscourse.Allstudentsareexpectedtoengageintheiracademicpursuitsinaprofessionalmannerandtomaintainhonestyandintegrity.StudentsareresponsibleforknowingtherequirementsofacademichonestysetforthbyUTEP.TheUniversityanditsofficialrepresentativesmayinitiatedisciplinaryproceedingsagainstastudentaccusedofanyformofacademicdishonesty.Seethe

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UTEPpolicyonacademicintegrityandscholasticdishonesty:http://sa.utep.edu/osccr/academic-integrity/POLICYFORSTUDENTSWITHDISABILITIESAccommodationswillbemadeforstudentswithlimitationsduetodisabilitiesprovidedthattheyareregisteredwiththeCenterforAccommodationsandSupportServices(CASS)andprocuretheproperdocumentation:http://sa.utep.edu/cass(telephone:(915)747-5148).StudentswithdocumenteddisabilitiesshouldmakesurethattheprofessorreceivestheappropriatepaperworkfromCASSwithinthefirstweekofclass.PleasenotethatCASSisavailabletohelpstudentswithanydisabilities,documentedillness(includinganxiety,depression,andPTSD),andinthecaseofshort-termdisability(brokenbones,etc.).POLICYFORSTUDENTABSENCESONRELIGIOUSHOLYDAYSSection51.911(b)oftheTexasEducationCoderequiresthataninstitutionofhighereducationexcuseastudentfromattendingclassesorotherrequiredactivities,includingexaminations,fortheobservanceofareligiousholyday,includingtravelforthatpurpose.Section51.911(a)(2)definesareligiousholydayas:“aholydayobservedbyareligionwhoseplacesofworshipareexemptfrompropertytaxationunderSection11.20….”Seeyourprofessoratleastaweekinadvanceifyouintendtomissclassinobservanceofareligiousholyday.