Art History

Table of Contents

Academic Calendar 2021-2022 (September 2021)

Art History

The Department of Fine Arts offers a B.A. with a Major or Minor in Art History. The study of Art History is integral to the study of art and visual culture. With its increasingly interdisciplinary approach, Art History encompasses a broad range of visual, cultural and social studies. An art history background provides valuable insight into history, philosophy and the humanities in general. Course offerings range from an introduction to World Art to more focused examinations of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, including Canadian Art, Contemporary Art, and Women and Gender in Art. Advanced seminars are also offered on subjects ranging from critical issues in Archival research, Museum and Curatorial Studies, and Art Criticism. Students majoring in Art History are also encouraged to do an Independent Study paper on a specific area of interest. Courses are also offered for credit as Art History courses in Classics, Philosophy, English, History, and Modern Languages and Literatures. The Owens Art Gallery is an invaluable resource for the study of Art History and for the Fine Arts Department. Further resources include Fine Arts field trips and a Visiting Artists' Program.

Museum and Curatorial Studies . The Department of Fine Arts offers a B.A. Minor in Museum and Curatorial Studies. The Museum and Curatorial Studies Minor offers an interdisciplinary approach to Art History, Commerce, Canadian Studies, and Classics with the resources and professional staff of the Owens Art Gallery, Colville House, the Mount Allison Libraries and Archives, and the Visiting Artists and Curators program. Course offerings include: arts and culture management; museum education and community engagement; curating and critical writing; the close study of collections and issues around collecting, including the repatriation of Indigenous objects; the archives; and the critical study of art museums and galleries. Students pursuing a Minor in Museum and Curatorial Studies can undertake an experiential learning component in their senior year.

A background in Museum and Curatorial Studies provides a wider understanding of the cultural production of museums and their communities and can lead to professions in curating, museum education, conservation, collections, marketing, or administration in the arts.

Disciplinary B.A. Programs

MINOR in Art History is 24 credits earned as follows:

6	from FINH 2101, 2111
18	from Art History at the 3/4000 level or from CLAS 3621, 3631, 3701, or 3711, ENGL 3621, FREN 2801, GERM 2701, HIST 4001, PHIL 2401

MAJOR in Art History is 60 credits earned as follows:

6	from FINH 2101, 2111
36	from Art History at the 3/4000 level or from CLAS 3621, 3631, 3721, or 3731, ENGL 3621, FREN 2801, GERM 2701, HIST 4001, PHIL 2401
18	from complementary courses in Arts and Letters and Humanities, chosen in consultation with the Program Advisor

Interdisciplinary B.A. Programs

Minor in Museum and Curatorial Studies is 24 credits earned as follows:

6	from FINH 2101, 2111
6	from FINH 3041, 3301, 3311
3	from FINH 4301, 4311, 4321, 4951
9	from FINH 3031* OR FINH 3071; FINH 3041, 3301, 3311, 4301, 4311, 4321, 4951 (if not used above); CANA 1011, 3831; CLAS 2501, 2521, 3501, 3511, 3621, 3631, 3721, 3731, COMM 3271, 4301, HIST 3861 Note: Students in the BFA, BA Major or Minor in Art History programs completing this Minor must take all 9 credits from non-FINH courses. Excluded courses are indicated with an asterisk.

Note:

The listing of a course in the Calendar is not a guarantee that the course is offered every year.

Note:

Students must obtain a grade of at least C- in all courses used to fulfill prerequisite requirements. Otherwise, written permission of the appropriate Department Head or Program Co-ordinator must be obtained.

ART HISTORY COURSES

FINH 1991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Art History

This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for FINH 1991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)

FINH 2101 (3.00)

Introduction to Art History

This course provides a chronological introduction to the history of Western art from the early Renaissance to the present day. It explores critically the major movements that shaped art throughout these periods. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: FINA 2011; FINH 2011)

FINH 2111 (3.00)

Contexts of Art and Museum Culture

This course focuses on the cultural, historical, and critical contexts of art. It thematically explores aspects of visual art, material culture, art markets, museum studies, repatriation, and issues around decolonization, all within a broader study of art history and visual culture. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: Any version of FINH 2111 previously offered with a different title)

FINH 2991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Art History

This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for FINH 2991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)

FINH 3021 (3.00)

Canadian Art From Its Beginnings to the 1960S

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course surveys the history of art in Canada from its beginnings to the 1960s within its historical, social, political, and cultural contexts and considers the ways in which art history and its narratives function. Topics include: the art of Canada's Indigenous peoples; topographical and portrait traditions in the Colonial period; landscape painting and the idea of Nationhood; mysticism and nature in Canadian painting; art and democracy; formal experimentation and the urban space in the art of the Inter-War Years; the development of Canadian sculpture; modernism in Canadian painting; Quebec art, politics, and the Church; and the development of abstraction. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3031 (3.00)

Canadian Art From the 1960S to the Present

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course considers visual art in Canada from the mid-1960s to the present. It looks at a range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, audio, performance, installation, and Internet art. It investigates current issues in contemporary art practice including cultural identity, the politics of representation, gender and the body, audience, and censorship. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3041 (3.00)

Museum Studies

Prereq: 6 credits from Art History courses; or permission of the Department
This course examines the art museum within contemporary society. It considers the history and future shape of the museum, and examines current practice, issues, and debate. It includes topics such as: the politics of the museum; its history and discourse; curatorial practice and the development of exhibitions; the museum and its publics; museums and new media; collections; and issues of artistic freedom and censorship. (Format: Seminar 3 Hours)

FINH 3051 (3.00)

Twentieth Century Art to 1940

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines art and architecture in Europe and North America from 1900 to 1940. It covers schools and movements including the Secession, Expressionism, The Fauves, Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Abstraction, Dada, Surrealism, and Social Realism, as well as artists working independently of any formal group. It also addresses issues such as gender, psychoanalysis, 'primitivism,' and the politics of colonialism and international warfare. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3061 (3.00)

Modern Art From 1940 to 1970

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines art in Europe and the United States from 1940 to 1970. It considers schools and movements including Abstract Expressionism, CoBrA, Pop Art, Junk Art, Minimalism, Kinetic Art, Op Art, Land Art, Process Art, Conceptual Art, Arte Povera and Performance Art, as well as artists working independently of any formal group. It also addresses issues such as notions of modernism and the avant-garde, gender, international warfare, post-World War II consumerism, internationalism, and the role of art critics in shaping a 'canon' for twentieth-century art. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3071 (3.00)

Contemporary Art Since 1970

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines contemporary art since 1970 and focuses on themes including the body and identity. Topics include naturally, and culturally, constructed bodies, gender identity, sexual identities, ethnic bodies, abject bodies, and political and religious identities. It includes art in a variety of media including the bodies of humans and animals, painting, sculpture, assemblage,installation, photography, printmaking, architecture, textiles, film, video, and performance art. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3081 (3.00)

Women and Gender in Art

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course offers a history of women in art and society, from the Medieval period through to contemporary culture. Drawing on social history,feminism and its implications, and the representation of women and gender in the visual arts, this course provides a better understanding of the situation of artists within different social, regional, and global contexts. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours) (Exclusion: any version of FINH 3081 previously offered with a different title)

FINH 3141 (3.00)

Nineteenth Century Art, Part One

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines art and architecture during the first half of the nineteenth century in the United States and Western Europe (particularly Belgium, England, France, Germany and Spain). It includes art in a variety of media and pays particular attention to the inventions of lithography and photography during this time. It considers artistic movements such as Neo-Classicism, Romanticism and Realism along with artists who worked independently from these movements. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3241 (3.00)

Nineteenth Century Art, Part Two

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines art and architecture during the second half of the nineteenth century in the United States and Western Europe (particularly Belgium, England, France, Germany and Spain). It includes art in a variety of media and pays particular attention to innovations in the production of photography and etching. It considers artistic movements such as Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impression and Art Nouveau. (Format: Lecture 3 Hours)

FINH 3301 (3.00)

Museums, Education, and Engagement

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course examines the expanding field of museum education and considers the broader educational role of the museum. Topics include: current practice in museum education; informal learning theories; visitor experience; visitor research; writing in the museum; accessibility; inclusion; relevance; and the ways in which museums use new media, social media, and mobile technology. (Format: Seminar 3 Hours) (Exclusion: FINH 3991 Museums, Education and Engagement)

FINH 3311 (3.00)

Collections, Collecting, and Community

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course critically examines the material culture of galleries, archives, and collections. Its close study of collections, collecting, and their communities broadens the dialogue around the politics of repatriation, stewardship, spoliation and restitution, and ownership and community.(Format: Seminar 3 Hours)

FINH 3991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Art History

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for FINH 3991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)

FINH 4091 (3.00)

Advanced Seminar in Art History

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; or permission of the Department
This course explores key issues in nineteenth to twenty-first century art, with topics to vary from term to term. It emphasizes contemporary, theoretical, methodological and critical approaches to the art of the recent past. [Note: Students may register for FINH 4091 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Seminar 3 Hours)

FINH 4301 (3.00)

Curating Art and Critical Writing

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; 3 credits from FINH at the 3000 level; or permission of the Department
This course develops a critical and creative approach to contemporary curating, museology, and writing on art. Topics include: a close examination of museums, galleries, and artist-run centres; the material cultures of display; collections; art writing. Students gain experience through curating art within a group dynamic. (Format: Seminar 3 Hours) (Exclusions: FINH 4091 Advanced Seminar: Curating Art and Critical Writing; FINH 4091 Advanced Seminar: Curating Art)

FINH 4311 (3.00)

Art and Archives

Prereq: FINH 2101; FINH 2111; 3 credits FINH at the 3000 level; or permission of the Department.
This course engages the archives as a real and conceptual space for memory to be activated through critical, historical, and creative methodologies. It opens a dialogue around what constitutes an archive or cultural collection and develops critical skills to navigate archival collections for primary research and documentation that can be applied to any course that examines historical or material culture. Students curate an exhibition drawn from an archival collection such as the Mount Allison Archival Collection. (Format: Seminar/Experiential 3 Hours) (Exclusions: FINH 4091 Advanced Seminar: Art and The Archives; FINH 4091 Advanced Seminar: Art & Archives)

FINH 4321 (3.00)

Museum Practicum

Prereq: Fourth-year standing in the Minor in Museum and Curatorial Studies; and Permission of the Department
This course provides students with an applied understanding of museum and curatorial practices. Students have an opportunity to engage in a directed study with a community museum, art gallery, arts centre, cultural or heritage centre, or archive, to develop a deeper knowledge of how these institutions, and their related professions, operate and function. (Format: Independent Study/Experiential)

FINH 4950 (6.00)

Independent Study in Art History

This course permits senior students, under the direction of faculty members, to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other courses through a program of independent study. [Note 1: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term during which the course is being taken. Note 2: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through regular course offerings. Note 3: Students may register for FINH 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Independent Study)

FINH 4951 (3.00)

Independent Study in Art History

FINH 4991 (3.00)

Special Topic in Art History

This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being considered for inclusion in the regular program. [Note 1: Prerequisite set by Department/Program when the topic and level are announced. Note 2: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation, it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean. Note 3: Students may register for FINH 4991 more than once, provided the subject matter differs.] (Format: Variable)