School of Art and Design at Alfred University

Art History

Art history has developed as an integral part of the studio curriculum in the School of Art and Design and has historically subscribed to this perspective. Art history as a discipline plays a formative and sustaining role in the development of the modern concept of art. At Alfred we believe that art history enriches and deepens our students’ involvement with art by providing them with the necessary critical and analytical skills. We also believe that an expanded vocabulary helps students become more articulate and increase the range of their participation in the expanding discourse on art.

In the first year, Foundations in Art History consists of a series of half-semester courses taken in three categories: Non-Western, Ancient to Baroque, and Modern/Contemporary. We believe that all courses at all levels of university education serve as points of access to motivated students. Foundation courses introduce students not only to the history of various periods and places but also to basic methods of doing research and writing about art.

Ezra Shales

Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History, Ezra Shales.

At the sophomore level, students are required to take Issues and Debates in Contemporary Art, a course built around presentations of and discussions around issues relevant to the contemporary art world. The minimum art history requirement for the BFA degree can be fulfilled with the successful completion of two additional courses at the junior and senior levels. Students in upper division classes study the history of art in a more focused manner by examining works organized according to a specific culture (African, Pre-Columbian), time period (Eighteenth-Century, Renaissance), movement (Modernism, Impressionism), topic (Women in Art) or medium (Ceramics, Photography).

Students who choose to minor in art history may do so by completing an additional two courses. A BA degree in Art History is forthcoming.

Gertz Lectures in Art History and Theory!

Faculty

Ceramic Art
Expanded Media
Sculpture/Dimensional Studies
Drawing, Painting, Photography