ART 241 - History of Indigenous Art of the Americas

Credits: 5
History of Indigenous Art of the Americas is an introduction to the art and visual culture of the Indigenous peoples of the American continents, including those of the Pacific Northwest. The course explores visual objects from prehistoric times until the present day, focusing on artistic process, rituals, and how art can be used as a tool for communication. We will examine how colonialism impacts the meanings of Indigenous identity and art through topics that include appropriation, forgeries, and the collecting and displaying of art.

Satisfies Requirement: Humanities/Fine Arts/English and Diversity
Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Identify and analyze Indigenous artistic traditions found in the Americas, based on style and form.
Explain the artistic process for creating Indigenous visual objects in the Americas, including an understanding of how natural materials and mediums impact the artistic process.
Identify the content of Indigenous art and the context in which it was created, in order to explain the art’s intended function(s).
Analyze the impact of racism and colonialism on the visual objects created about and by Indigenous communities in the Americas.
Critically analyze and explain the impact of Western colonial and educational practices in understanding Indigenous visual objects, including appropriation, forgeries, and the collecting and displaying of art.
Demonstrate an understanding of how art about and by Indigenous people relates to broader social, political and cultural meanings today.
Create personal artistic expressions (such as painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, or performance) in response to contemporary issues facing Indigenous communities in the Americas.

Program Outcomes
Demonstrate knowledge of visual art elements and principles.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.
Diversity and Equity - In order to advance equity and social justice, students will be able to examine their own and others’ identities, behaviors, and/or cultural perspectives as they connect to power, privilege, and/or resistance.