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The study of art is increasingly valuable
as contemporary society becomes ever more visual in its
orientation. Making art and studying its history are
complementary pursuits; the knowledge and skill gained
in one supports achievement in the other.
Students majoring in art take a program
that emphasizes either the history of art or studio art.
Students emphasizing art history should have meaningful
exposure to studio art, and those focusing on studio art
need a strong foundation in art history.
Art history is different from other historical
disciplines in that it is founded on the primacy of
objects that are both concretely present and yet
artifacts of history. Art history courses concentrate on
painting, sculpture, and architecture, all forms defined
as fine arts.
Because the basic unit of art historical analysis is the
visual experience, art historical study strengthens
one's powers of observation and the ability to use those
observations as a point of departure for critical
thought.
Courses in art history are designed to utilize local art
collections, including those at the Getty Center, the
Norton Simon Museum, the Huntington Library, the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of
Contemporary Art.
For non-majors, art history studies provide a standard
of aesthetic appreciation and an awareness of past and
present achievements in the visual arts. With additional
study at the graduate level, art history can lead to
professional careers in college teaching, museum
curatorship, fine arts librarianship, and publishing.
Studio art courses focus upon the materials, methods,
and forms most commonly used by contemporary artists.
Students are guided toward mastery of technique and
expression of ideas.
Articulation of personal experience and visual ideas in
drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, computer art,
and sculpture is approached as a process of facilitating
informed choices by student artists.
The faculty recognizes and encourages individual
differences by working with students primarily on an
individual basis, emphasizing the need to cultivate
self-evaluation. The faculty seek to stimulate students'
ability to think, express themselves, and appreciate
life creatively.
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