History of Art - Native Arts of Mesoamerica and South America

A general introduction to the visual arts of the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, an area extending from northern Mexico through Central America, and the Andean region of South America. This course covers diverse art forms, including architecture, ceramics, weaving, painting and sculpture from antiquity to the present. Topics addressing the religious, cultural, social, economic and political contexts of the art will be explored.

Extra Credit opportunities are listed on the Paper Assignment. You may also attend the Mexica New Year Event in San Jose. Write a brief (600 word) reaction paper addressing your day at the event. (3 points possible)

The Midterm and Final Exam format will be the same.
There will be a matching / multiple choice section of the exam with 20 questions, worth 10 points of the total exam grade. Be sure to bring a small green scantron sheet and a pencil.
The exam will have two written sections:

Slide Identification - 5 slides to identify. You should know:

  • The title or object name or name of structure
  • Location (if it is an archaeological site)
  • Materials that it is made of (if stressed in class)
  •  Culture / Civilization

Worth 70 points of the total exam grade.
Short-answer questions: Write short answers for two out of six questions (We will discuss these questions in class).
Worth 20 points of the total exam grade.
100 points total; midterm exam is worth 25% of your final grade, final exam 30%.
Good luck!

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