MCCCD Program Description

Art of Africa, Oceania, and Americas

Course: ARH202

First Term: 2023 Fall

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3.0 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S- Standard

Description: Study of the material cultures of Africa, America, and Oceania, with an emphasis on diverse worldviews and their expression within a contemporary global context.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Investigate symbols, images, objects, and structures in the art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. (I–IV) 2. Apply art historical terminology in written and oral communication. (I-IV) 3. Attribute works of art to their geographic region, culture of origin, and historical period. (II, III, IV) 4. Analyze artworks within their cultural context using critical thinking and visual literacy skills. (I–IV) 5. Critically compare and contrast works of art from differing artists, periods, and/or regions. (II, III, IV) 6. Examine the effects of and responses to colonization and globalization in the art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. (I-IV) 7. Debate issues related to the collection, display, and ownership of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. (I-IV)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Approaches to the study of art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas A. Art historical investigation 1. Applying art historical terminology 2. Developing visual acuity 3. Style, form, and content 4. Archeological and anthropological evidence 5. Methodologies and theoretical frameworks B. Other sources for understanding 1. Ethnographic 2. Oral histories 3. Colonial histories C. Function of art and artists in various cultures 1. Concept of the artist 2. Performative 3. Aesthetic 4. Utilitarian D. Scholarship, issues, and controversies 1. Restoration and preservation 2. Ownership, collecting, and repatriation 3. Cultural heritage and identity 4. Museum practices 5. Appropriation 6. Innovation and creativity II. Art of Africa A. Themes in african art 1. Medium and meaning 2. Geography and climate 3. Spirituality 4. Power and Leadership 5. Community 6. Utility 7. Trade and exchange 8. Exploration and expansion 9. Rites of passage B. Regions and time periods 1. African prehistory 2. North and east Africa 3. Southern africa 4. West and central Africa 5. The 19th and 20th centuries: colonialism and independence 6. African artists of the late 20th and 21st centuries a. Globalization b. African diaspora c. International/ Cosmopolitan artists III. Art of Oceania A. Themes in oceanic Art 1. Medium and meaning 2. Navigation and settling the pacific 3. Geography and climate 4. Rites of passage 5. Ancestors and deities 6. Encounters with Europeans 7. Trade and exchange B. Regions and time periods 1. Australia 2. Melanesia and micronesia 3. Polynesia 4. The 19th and 20th centuries: colonialism and independence 5. Oceanic art of the late 20th and 21st centuries IV. Art of the Americas A. Themes 1. Medium and meaning 2. Empire and conquest 3. Monumental architecture and city planning 4. The ball game 5. Rites of passage 6. Origin stories 7. Ancestors and deities 8. Encounters with europeans B. Regions and time periods 1. South America 2. Mesoamerica and central America 3. North America a. The eastern and southeastern United States b. The northwest and Arctic c. The great plains d. The Southwest 4. The 19th and 20th centuries: colonialism, resistance and independence 5. Art of the americas of the late 20th and 21st centuries

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: February 28, 2023

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.