Course Schedule and Catalog

Department: Art History

Meeting: 4:00PM - 6:30PM R (24-AUG-2026 - 4-DEC-2026) 

Part of Term: Full Term

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Method of Instruction: Face to Face

Credit Hours: 3

 

Section Max Enrollment: 20

Section Enrolled: 3

Total Cross-list Max Enrollment: 20

Total Cross-list Enrolled: 5

Enrollment data as of: 26-APR-2026 2:29PM

 

 

Final Exam: No Final Exam

 

Description: This course asks “who and what are black contemporary artists citing and why does it matter?” This class will tackle key readings in the field of black studies through investigating the theoretical attentions of contemporary artists. Why are the readings of Zora Neale Hurston, Frantz Fanon, Hortense Spillers, W.E.B. Du Bois, Toni Morrison, Saidiya Hartman, Claudia Rankine, and Fred Moten, to name a few, necessary for the critical analysis of black visual and performance art? This art history course will expose students to the interdisciplinary field of black studies, feminist studies, visual culture, queer theory, disabilities studies, and performance studies. The course ends with the creative development of an analytical essay on an art object of the student’s choice. This assignment is methodically organized over the semester to encourage each student to develop an argument that arises from their own close reading, application of theory, and lived experiences. It is priority to make this course on black aesthetics joyous, safe, and accessible to students of all genders, sexualities, and disabilities. Cross-list: AAAS 306.